A new survey suggests large numbers of tenants are worried about the risk of falling behind with the rent or even becoming homeless.

The study, by a discount service, looks at 2,674 UK renters over the age of 18.

All respondents were first asked how real the prospect of homelessness was to them in their current financial situation, revealing that more than one in five UK adults (21 per cent) consider the idea of homelessness within the next six months a ‘real concern’. 

When asked why they consider their current situation to be as perilous as they do, the top factors given were a lack of affordable housing, rent levels, energy bills, inflation, and wage stagnation.

The study then asked what lengths people have gone to in order to keep up with rent repayments on their current property, to better ascertain the level of crisis facing the average renter. 

The top responses were borrowing money, selling items, skipping meals, doing second jobs or even stealing from supermarkets.

When asked if the respondents blamed the government for the current financial situation, 93 per cent said ‘yes’.

Julian House, managing director at Myfavouritevouchercodes, which commissioned the research, says: “We are currently teetering on the precipice of national economic disaster – with the energy price cap set to soar in October, inflation set to increase, wage stagnation rampant throughout all business industries, and the state of the rental market creating a backdrop of despair.

“The government have a number of issues to address, that much is clear, but the cost-of-living crisis as an entity in itself, must be a priority for any incumbent leadership candidate. With homelessness such a real worry for this number of people, in a wealthy country like the UK, it is truly staggering that this is an issue that people are in fear of not escaping.”