150,000 private renters at risk of eviction due to falling behind on rent as a result of Covid-19

Suspension of evictions until end of May 2021 will only serve as a 'stay of execution' for those with unmanageable rent arrears, says StepChange Debt Charity

150,000 private renters are at risk of eviction due to falling behind on rent as a result of Covid-19, according to new research from StepChange Debt Charity.

Setting out the results of a poll of private renters today, StepChange highlights that -

• half of private renters (3.7 million people) have experienced a drop in income since March 2020;
• the number who have fallen behind on their rent since the start of the pandemic stands at 460,000; and
• 150,000 expect to be evicted in the next 12 months because they can’t afford their rent.

In addition, StepChange says that its polling reveals that, since March 2020, one in five private renters (1.5 million people) have had to go without meals or suitable clothes, while three in ten (2 million people) say money worries have contributed to anxiety, depression or other mental health problems

Commenting on the findings, StepChange chief executive Phil Andrew said -

'The government’s continued suspension of rental evictions until the end of May is a positive step, but this alone will only serve as a stay of execution for those with unmanageable rent arrears. The Government’s own research shows that private renters have been hardest hit by the pandemic yet there was no reference to renters in the recent budget while mortgage support was extended for home-owners – a real missed opportunity to do whatever it takes to help a group so disproportionately disadvantaged.

The Government needs to build on the sticking plaster of extended notice periods, with urgent action to sustain tenancies threatened by Covid-related rent arrears. That’s why StepChange is launching its Covid Debt Rescue campaign, which is calling for dedicated financial support to help ensure landlords keep renters in their homes. Without it, people will lose their homes just as they are trying to get back on their feet, compounding their financial and social problems and acting as a drag on the country’s economic recovery.'

For more information, see Covid debt putting 150,000 renters at risk of eviction from stepchange.org