“It is alarming that so many private renters are suffering from housing worries, and councils want to work with government to help meet the challenges renters face."
Responding to a survey by Shelter, which found that private renters have fallen ill as a result of housing worries, Cllr David Renard, the Local Government Association’s housing spokesman, said:
“It is alarming that so many private renters are suffering from housing worries, and councils want to work with government to help meet the challenges renters face.
“With more powers such as the freedom to establish landlord licensing schemes, councils would be better placed to support a good quality local private rented offer in their communities.
“While it was good the Government ended the Local Housing Allowance rate freeze, it now needs to go further in the forthcoming Budget and restore the rate to at least the 30th percentile of market rents, which would help households being pushed into financial hardship to meet their housing costs.”