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Families in the private rental sector feel insecure on shorter tenancies

Families in the private rental sector feel insecure on shorter tenancies
31 January 2017

By UKinsuranceNET In News

New research from consumer rights charity Citizens Advice has revealed that almost 1.5 million privately rented households in England would like longer tenancies so they could have more security in their home.

According to PropertyWire, the study found that:

  • 34% of private renters would like their tenancy to be longer, rising to 39% for those with children;
  • 39% families in privately rented homes have a tenancy of six months or less;
  • 59% said is hard planning for the future (such as children needing to go to a new school).

Recently there’s been a substantial growth in the number of people raising children in privately rented accommodation, with families accounting for around four in every 10 households in the private rental sector.

Chief executive of Citizens Advice, Gillian Guy, said: “The challenges of living in the private rented sector can be even more acute for people with children. Families are living under a cloud of uncertainty, not knowing when they might need to leave their home.

“This can make planning for the future, such as where your child can go to school, a real struggle. With home ownership on the decline the private rented sector is in need of a major overhaul. While there are signs of progress, such as the ban on letting agent fees, action is needed to improve security of tenure for private tenants as well as the quality of private rented homes”.

This viewpoint was echoed by Girlings Retirement Rentals, whose chairman Peter Girling, said that older people need security too. The Girlings survey found that 85% of people wanted a tenancy of a year or more.

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