Data from the English Housing Survey of 2022/23 shows the number of private rented households living in overcrowded conditions stands at 232,249, compared to 152,138 in 2009/10
The number of people crammed into overcrowded rented homes has soared under the Tories – leaving kids nowhere to study or play. shock figures show.
There are now 80,000 more cases of overcrowded households in the private rented sector since 2010, a rise of 52.7%. Data from the English Housing Survey of 2022/23 shows the number of private rented households living in overcrowded conditions stands at 232,249, compared to 152,138 in 2009/10.
It comes amid warnings the long-awaited Renters Reform Bill has been watered down to appease landlords. The draft legislation, which is due back in Parliament after Easter, has made glacial progress through the Commons thanks to pressure from Tory landlords.
Shadow Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said: “Tory chaos is costing people the dignity of a proper home. The number of families living in cramped and crowded houses has sky-rocketed since the Conservatives came to office.
“The grim reality of these overcrowded homes is that there are kids growing up without any room to play or do their homework. There will be couples unable to start a family, young workers coming home to sleep in bunk-beds, and renters feeling like they’re always stepping on someone else’s toes.”
She called on the Government to get on with passing the Renters Reform Bill and properly regulate the sector by extending Awaab’s law to privately rented homes, which orders landlords to eradicate mould and household hazards within a strict time frame.
Tom Darling, of the Renters Reform Coalition, said: “Overcrowded homes can cause significant physical and mental health harm, especially to children – in 2024 it’s unacceptable for anyone to be living in these conditions, let alone almost a quarter of a million households.
“Against this backdrop, it’s barely believable that the Government has first delayed, and now watered down, their long-awaited reforms to private renting. It’s encouraging to see the Labour party say they will take up the mantle, but we need to see more detail from them about how they plan to tackle this enormous crisis.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said: “Everyone deserves a safe and decent place to call home. That’s why we are making the private rented sector fairer through the Renters Reform Bill, which includes abolishing Section 21 evictions so tenants have greater security in their homes.
“We are also introducing a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time, and changes to the Bill will crack down on rogue landlords, protect vulnerable residents, and improve the decency and safety of homes for millions of tenants.
“Since 2010, we have delivered over 696,100 new affordable homes, including over 172,600 homes for social rent, and our £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme is delivering even more across the country.”