More than half of tenants have problems with landlords and letting agents

One in seven tenants say that their problems have never been resolved

Just over half of the 2,100 tenants polled had experienced at least one problem with their landlord or letting agent in the last five years (PA)

One in five tenants has had reservations about their landlord or letting agent on day one of their tenancy, says a new report.

This figure rises to 43 per cent for Londoners, according to research from the Association of Residential Letting Agents.

Just over half of the 2,100 tenants polled had experienced at least one problem with their landlord or letting agent in the last five years. Of these, a third cited the amount of time it had taken to fix a problems. Once a problem was reported, tenants had to wait an average of 36 days for it to be fixed, while one in seven say that their problems were never resolved.

The next most common problems were kitchen cupboards and worn carpets (18 per cent), while eight per cent reported that workmen had been admitted to the property without their knowledge.

"It will only be through qualification and ongoing professional development, backed up by appropriate regulation, that we will eliminate the rogue landlords and agents who blight our industry," said David Cox, Managing Director, Association of Residential Letting Agents. "ARLA would like to see a fully regulated industry to build a better, stronger private rented sector."

A survey from the Local Government Association suggests that nearly three quarters of would-be first time buyers feel trapped in their rental property because of rising house prices. Almost two thirds believe it will be harder for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder in five years than it is now.