7.5 Million tenants have had problems with their landlord

In excess of 7.5 million private sector tenants have had issues and problems with their landlord in the preceding 10 years and over 3 million tenants have said their landlords did nothing to sort out the problems.

In a recent new guide produced by Citizens advice, it advises and encourages private tenants to talk more with their landlords over any worries or problems they have with their property. The guide also aims to promote the rights of tenants and explain that landlords have a duty to fix the majority of common issues, especially problems with heating.

Another survey also found that 7% of tenants were too afraid to bring to their landlords attention, for fear of retribution.

Kevin Cox ofBristol letting agents igloolets.comsaid "Many tenants are now looking to rent through an agent, since they feel thatLetting agentsare more education as to the legal aspects of letting.

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy explained that knowing a tenant's rights should help those who may be worried about approaching their landlord.

Speaking to Inside Housing, she said: "Everyone should have the right to live in a safe and decent home, but we see a lot of private tenants who are too scared to complain about terrible conditions for fear of eviction.

"We want to make sure people have the right information about their legal rights and can get the advice they need in this complex area of law."

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said: 'The government have to recognize their responsibility to protect this vast and growing population of private tenants, especially when our research has proved that Generation Rent want better rules to protect them.