A home can heal: ending the mental health crisis in private renting

Generation Rent and the National Survivor User Network (NSUN) have released a report detailing the devastating impact that renting privately has on the mental health of tenants around the country.

The two organisations conducted a survey between 24th June and 19th July 2024 which received 814 submissions. The survey included various themes surrounding renting and its impact on tenants, including issues with affordability, poor standards, disrepair, insecurity, the threat of eviction, homelessness, and physical and mental health.

This research highlights the many failings of private renting in the UK, and the urgent need that tenants have for a better, fairer system where families and households are able to feel fully in control of their lives in safe, happy, healthy homes.

Key findings

• Nine in 10 private renters stated that privately renting had negatively affected their mental health.
• Two in five stated that renting privately had impacted their physical health.
• Over three quarters worried about affording the rent each month and almost half worried about this “a lot”.
• Over four in five private renters worried about being evicted.
• Overwhelmingly renters felt stressed when reporting repairs to their landlord or letting agent, with 88.1% reporting so.
• Around half of all respondents stated that a landlord or letting agent had behaved in a way towards them that made them feel physically or psychologically unsafe.

Certain groups of people were bearing the brunt of mental health pressures:

• 86% of Disabled private renters stated that their disability or mental health condition had been negatively impacted by renting privately.
• Women were significantly more likely to report elevated stress surrounding affordability, evictions and disrepair than men.
• Women, migrants, people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and LGBTQ+ people were significantly more likely to struggle to find affordable homes to rent.
• Poor and unfair treatment was more commonly reported amongst people with marginalised identities – with women, people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds, migrants and LGBTQ+ people more likely to have experienced:
  • Informal eviction processes i.e. not through formal Section 21 or Section 8 notices
  • Behaviour from a landlord or letting agent that made them feel psychologically or physically unsafe
  • A landlord or letting agent who refused to carry out repairs

The research draws a strong link between living as a private renter and worsening mental health. Having a safe place to call home and a community to put down roots in are core to a person’s mental wellbeing. However, this research clearly demonstrates that the system of private renting is woefully inadequate to meet the basic needs of individuals and families.

Until people are granted true security in their homes, the spiralling cost of private rents are addressed, and the quality of privately rented homes are improved, this will continue to be so. Fundamental changes are absolutely necessary if we are to make private renting fit for purpose for the millions of people and families living in these homes.

What needs to happen?

The Renters’ Rights Bill is set to become the most important reform for private renters in a generation. In order for the Bill to comprehensively address the issues that tenants face, it must include:

1. An end to Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, including Section 21 ‘by the backdoor‘
2. The introduction of indefinite tenancies and longer notice periods
3. An introduction of tenant relocation relief in “landlord intention” evictions
4. A private landlord register in England
5. Restrictions on rent increases, to prevent landlords from pricing tenants out of their homes

Other changes that renters need, include:

1. Improved benefits support so that private renter claimants can afford safe and secure homes
2. Increase funding for Discretionary Housing Payments
3. Increase local authorities’ budgets to support regulatory and enforcement functions in local authorities
4. End discriminatory Right to Rent and no recourse to public funds policies
5. More affordable homes and more social homes which are adapted to renters’ needs

Find our more about your rights here and share how your mental health has been impacted by renting here.