UK housing tenants in 'most debt for decades'

06/05/2009

Both landlords and tenants are coming under severe stress in the housing downturn - potentially putting their health at risk.

The recession - and the recent rise in unemployment - is causing many renters to fall behind on their accommodation costs, the BBC reports.

Recent figures from the National Landlords Association has shown that one in three tenants are in arrears - while repossessions are widely predicted to rise sharply this year from their 2008 level of 40,000.

Rukhsana Kashmiri, a London-based landlord with two tenants in properties she owns, told the broadcaster that both the renters have lost their jobs recently and are behind on their payments - leaving her £9,000 in the hole.

"I'm on anti-depressants and pain-killers," she commented.

"My health is not good, and my whole body is aching."

Zoe Abbey, a tenant from Watford, also told the BBC that she is currently being evicted by her landlord due to her struggle with finding a job in the recession.

She said: "It wasn't very nice. You've got the landlord on the door all the time and you're getting letters."

Tags; Income Worries and Debt, Young Family Finances, Recent Graduate Debt,

Regional Debt Advice; Debt Help London,

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