Housing charity reports rise in calls for help

The number of calls from people living in unfit rental accommodation rose by more than a third last year, housing charity Threshold said today.

Conditions people were reporting included problems with hot and cold running water, mould growing on walls, vermin infestations and living in windowless rooms, the charity said.

Threshold, which is publishing its annual report for 2004 today, also claimed local authorities were failing in their duty to inspect privately rented accommodation, with only 7,232 of an estimated 150,000 dwellings checked by inspectors.

According to the report, almost 30 per cent of inspected properties were found to be falling below minimum standards, but legal action was only taken in four cases.

Threshold chairman Aideen Hayden said the wrong message was being sent out to landlords and called for local authorities to step up inspections, prosecute more cases, and name and shame those found guilty of breaches of the law.

"The introduction of the new Residential Tenancies Act last year has greatly improved tenants rights in the private rented sector," she said.

"But the Government must now copper-fasten this progress by tackling the quality of accommodation, particularly at the lower end of the market.

"It is totally unacceptable that people are forced to live in windowless flats, sleep in bedrooms covered in mildew or make do without hot running water.

Ms Hayden called for the Government to ensure existing standards were enforced and to also introduce new standards which reflected current accepted living standards.

She also warned that the introduction of apartment-style living in inner cities did not cater for families who were being housed in them.

Threshold saw an increase in use of its services last year, with a total of 20,601 people coming to the charity for help. The return of deposits was a growing problem for tenants, and advice workers dealt with 44 per cent more cases last year than in 2003.

The number of calls about illegal evictions also grew by 41 per cent to 271 cases.