Time to rock the boat: older private renters urgently need better quality housing

It is well known that homes with damp and mould can increase risk of illnesses such as asthma and respiratory infections, which can in turn result in long-term ill health and even in death. Worryingly, our polling of older private renters in England found that around a quarter had experienced both, with 24% saying they had experienced damp and 27% experienced mould in their home within the past five years.  

People we interviewed said that as well as the risks to their physical health, living with these conditions affected their mental health and well-being. They felt that keeping the mould at bay was an impossible task. Some older tenants living on a low income were either fearful of raising concerns with their landlord, or had landlords that were unwilling to act. This left them at the mercy of potentially dangerous health hazards.  

“Our research found that 17% of older renters in England reported experiencing excessive cold and 24% reported draughts in their home in the past five years”

Living in a cold home can have wide-ranging health conditions, exacerbating existing health conditions, as well as causing new ones. It is a significant contributing factor to excess winter deaths, with over one in five in the UK last year linked to this.  

Our research found that 17% of older renters in England reported experiencing excessive cold and 24% reported draughts in their home in the past five years. We also heard about the struggle to afford energy bills due to cold, draughty homes. Some people told us about making dramatic cuts to other essentials such as food to keep the heating on, and others were forgoing or rationing energy use to extreme levels despite the impact on their health.

We also spoke to older renters about hazards such as those associated with electrical safety, fire risk and risks of falls. Our report found that 14% of older renters in England had experienced hazards in their home in the past five years. In homes across England, falls are the most common hazard, with older people being at disproportionate risk of harm from them, with falls sometimes causing permanent damage to an older person’s health and sometimes causing life-changing injuries. 

In one particularly shocking interview, someone told us about sewage coming up through the floors in their living room and how no one seemed able to fix it as they did not know the correct layout of the pipes. Hazards can be wide-ranging, but many are nightmare scenarios.  

Despite the challenges, we currently have a once in a generation opportunity to dramatically improve the situation for renters of all ages, in the form of the Renters’ Rights Bill, which has just started its journey through parliament to become law. Older renters need to be considered at all stages of the bill, as well as in its implementation, to ensure it reflects their needs.

“It is vital that members of all political parties work together to seize this opportunity to improve the situation for renters of all ages”

At Independent Age, we think that if passed and enacted quickly, this bill could make a real difference to tenants.

Outlawing Section 21 no-fault evictions will mean that renters do not fear asking landlords for repairs in case they are subject to an eviction in retaliation. 

Applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector, setting clear and enforceable standards for safe homes and giving local authorities the power and resources to enforce them, should mean that in the future, fewer older renters are living in sub-standard housing. 

To strengthen the current bill, we are urging the UK government to ensure that indirect discrimination against low-income private renters is ended by limiting upfront rent payments to one month. 

Positively, as our briefing reports, the majority of landlords support the measures in the bill, including stronger rules around the condition of homes. 

It is vital that members of all political parties work together to seize this opportunity to improve the situation for renters of all ages. It is right for tenants and constituents across the country that the Renters’ Rights Bill passes swiftly and in full.

Everyone deserves a home that is safe and secure – this is one more step towards making that a reality.  

Joanna Elson, chief executive, Independent Age