Letting agents' fees are now "truly out of control" and tenants are having to go without food or turn off heating to cover their costs, a housing and homelessness charity has warned.
Private rents in England and Wales fell slightly for the fourth month in a row in February, as a more vibrant sales market eased some of the strain on housing, a lettings network says.
Tenants facing soaring rents are resorting to drastic measures such as using payday loans and dipping into their children's savings just to hang on to their homes, a charity warned today.
More than a third of people have cut back on their food spending in the last year to help cover their rent or mortgage costs, showing the "tough" choices faced by families, housing charity Shelter has said.
One in seven Britons has turned to a pricey payday loan or sky-high unauthorised overdraft to cover rent or mortgage costs in the last year, a worrying study from charity Shelter has found.
Business owners, motorists and residents affected by the riots that hit many parts of the UK should be covered under most insurance policies, according to senior insurance figures.
The Housing Minister has said schemes introduced by the previous Government to help homeowners struggling with their mortgage will be maintained for the next few months, despite public spending cuts.
20 July 2010
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