One in five rental homes is substandard, data reveals

More than a fifth of privately rented homes in the UK fail to meet basic living standards, shocking new analysis has revealed.

- DAVID MADDOX

According to data from the independent House of Commons library researchers, more than a million rented homes (21 per cent of the private market) do not meet the government-set Decent Homes Standard.

With a growing number of people forced to rent, almost one in five homes (19 per cent) in the UK are from the private rental market. Despite new restrictions and tougher rules on landlords being introduced by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, the research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that private renters are facing increasingly poor conditions.

The Lib Dems are calling for a new insulation installation programme to help homes better deal with extreme changes in temperature, such as heatwaves.

The latest data reveals the shocking extent of living standards for renters across the country. Nearly half a million (496,000) privately rented homes are rated with category one hazards, according to the housing health and safety rating system.