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100,000+ tenants over two months behind on rent

Following on from the previous news story about rising rents, recent figures show that more than a hundred thousand people in England and Wales alone are more than two months behind on their rent payments.

That was the picture as it stood in the second quarter of the year (April-June). The figure marks an increase of 8% on the previous quarter - and a massive 24% increase on the figure from the second quarter of 2011. It's also the highest figure we've seen since 2008.

The numbers come from Templeton LPA receivers (part of the LSL Property Services group), whose director and joint-receiver said, "As the private rented sector grows, the number of tenants in dire financial straits is steadily climbing. Falling wages in real terms have been compounded by rising rents, pushing a greater number of rented households over the edge financially."

What's more, she continued, the lack of job security in today's labour market - and the expected impact of further public-sector cuts - will mean we're likely to see more and more people falling further into debt to their landlords.

A spokesperson for the IVA Advisory Centre commented: "Rising rents are yet another problem people all around the UK are facing. All this pressure on households' incomes is making it harder to stay on top of the bills and pay off debts - and in many cases it just proves too much.

"Anyone who finds themselves unable to keep up with their bills should get some expert advice before things have a chance to get worse. There could be a debt solution that can help them bring their monthly costs down to an affordable level."