The Generation Rent activist group says rent levels imposed by landlords encourage the growth of scammers.

The group cites one scammer who defrauded over 30 people in London out of a combined total of over £77,000.

The group is calling on the government to urgently introduce a limit on how much landlords can raise the rent, as high rents create what it describes as a “fertile environment for scammers.”

Nye Jones, head of campaigns at the activist organisation, says:  “Homes are the foundations of our lives, but those foundations are torn away when scammers set out to profit from people’s misery. 

“… High rents create fertile ground for scammers who can exploit desperation. 

“Mostly, it’s the people on lower incomes, who can least afford to lose money, who are often targeted. With another inflation spike on the way, the government can and must act by bringing in a limit on how much landlords can hike the rent, which would tackle the conditions that have allowed scammers to thrive at our expense.”

Generation Rent says prospective tenants should avoid finding homes through social media websites, alleging that of 300 renting adverts on one mainstream site, it believes nearly three quarters contained indicators of a scam. 

Its advice to tenants also says: “It is illegal for landlords to demand more than one month’s rent in advance. The Renters Rights Act limits rent in advance to one month, anyone asking for more is acting illegally. Additionally, it is also illegal for a landlord to ask for money before you’ve viewed a home.”