Four out of 10 ten renters in Hammersmith not happy with with their home, report says

By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter

Almost 40 per cent of private renters in a Hammersmith and Fulham are dissatisfied with the condition of their home, a new survey has indicated.

Key issues raised included leaks, damp and mould and poor heating, with the cost and availability of private homes also dominating renters’ concerns.

The survey, carried out by Hammersmith and Fulham council, was part of a wider consultation capturing views from 270 participants. There are currently around 30,000 private properties in the borough – roughly 37 per cent of all homes.

In a report prepared for councillors, the PRS (Private Rented Sector) is complemented as playing “an important role in H&F providing many residents and families with housing that they want and need”.

Officers however reference English Housing Survey data which suggests 19 per cent of PRS properties in Hammersmith and Fulham may fall short of the Decent Homes Standard. This is more than the 14.5 per cent of socially rented and privately owned properties expected to fail to meet the minimum legal threshold.

Through its own survey, the council found that nearly 40 per cent of respondents were dissatisfied with the quality of their home ‘to some degree’.

The report notes: “The key issues highlighted by those renters’ included leaks, damp and mould, problems with window and/or door fixtures, cosmetic repairs, and poor heating.”

The cost of renting was also identified as a key concern. According to the report, the median monthly rent for a two-bedroom flat in the borough was £2,146 in 2023, the sixth highest in London.

The council’s draft PRS policy details five ‘themes’  to tackle poorly performing areas of the PRS. The five themes are: working together with residents and landlords; improving private rented quality, safety and energy efficiency; delivering comprehensive enforcement action; a fairer, more inclusive, and accessible private rented sector; and shaping the national conversation.

A majority of renters, 82 per cent, who took part in the council’s consultation agreed with the five themes. For landlords, the figure was just 42 per cent.

At last night’s meeting, Conservative councillor Adronie Alford queried whether 270 respondents could be deemed as a solid sample size on which to base such findings.

She was told by an officer that while more responses would have been better, the local authority had worked hard to encourage private renters to participate in the survey. “What I would say is 270 responses does paint a very strong picture around case studies and people’s experiences,” he said.

Cllr Frances Umeh, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, told the committee: “There’s been an extensive amount of work that’s been done not only to try to consult, but also drawing on different sources, but also that recognition that it is challenging to draw that information out from renters.”

Revisions from the consultation and the committee’s feedback will now be incorporated into the draft PRS policy, with a final version expected this autumn.

Pictured top: Aerial view of the borough (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Thomas Nugent)