Tenants ‘borrowing just to cover rent’

A HOUSING charity has warned that hundreds of homes’ tenants in Halton could be having to borrow to cover their rent.

Shelter said a survey found that one in three low-earning renters are going into debt to pay their landlords.

It said this includes using credit cards, overdrafts or cash from family and friends.

The charity has called on whoever wins the General Election on June 8 to step in and help ‘rent-burdened Brits’.

It warned that huge numbers of low-earning private tenants are only just managing to keep a roof over their heads, with 70% either struggling or falling behind on rent.

Shelter said that 800,000 British renters cannot afford save £10 a month according to an analysis of Government statistics.

It has called for a generation of ‘living rent homes’ for ordinary working families and has urged the Government after June 8 to invest in half a millionof these properties during the next parliament.

The figures were compiled from a survey conducted by Shelter and YouGov and low earners were defined for a single person with no children as having an annual income of between £10,000 and £19,999 up to a couple with four children as between £35,000 and £59,999.

According to Census data, private rent accounts for about 10% of the housing market in Halton.

Anne Baxendale, director of communications, policy and campaigns at Shelter, said: “It just isn’t right that so many hard-working private renters are having to take on dangerous debts just to keep a roof over their heads.”