The average debt renters owe because of the pandemic has increased by 41% since May this year, says the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).
From over 2,000 private renters asked in a survey commissioned by the NRLA and carried out by Dynata, the NRLA found that the number of renters in arrears had fallen from 7% in May to 3.7%.
However, the NRLA works out this latter figure of being representative of nearly 433,000 tenants, and the total they owe has increased from an average of £900 in May to £1,270 by 30 September.
And of those tenants in arrears, 57% are not receiving Universal Credit, meaning they are ineligible for Discretionary Housing Payments.
For those in receipt of Universal Credit, 59% said that the £20 a week cut would make it “more difficult” for them to pay their rent.
NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle comments: “The NRLA is concerned that tenants with outstanding Covid related rent debts are seeing these arrears increase. Whilst landlords have done all they can to support affected tenants, they simply cannot afford for this situation to continue indefinitely.
“With the government having made funding available for affected tenants it is now vital that councils get this to those affected renters as swiftly as possible.
“In doing so they should prioritise those not eligible for emergency housing benefit support. This course of action is the best way to sustain tenancies and keep people in their homes.”