Concerns raised over threat of eviction for many tenants

More than 352,000 rental sector tenants in England have faced the threat of losing their home over the last year - equating to one tenant every 90 seconds - according to analysis from Shelter.

The charity, which used Ministry of Justice figures to make the findings, said that one in every 55 rented households in England was put at risk of losing their home over the last year.

Shelter's calculations are based on the number of possession claims issued by landlords in courts over the last year.

Possession claims do not necessarily end in the tenant being evicted, although Shelter's figures suggest that in around one in three cases tenants do end up losing their home.%VIRTUAL-ArticleSidebar-property-guide%

There were 149,542 possession claims between the start of October 2014 and the end of September 2015. Based on the typical number of people living in a rented home, this equates to around 352,919 renters facing the threat of losing their home over the last year, Shelter said. The figures include both social and private sector tenants.

The charity also identified hotspots across the country where renters are most likely to face the risk of losing their home, with swathes of London included on the list.

Enfield in London topped the hotspots list, with one in every 21 rented homes calculated to be at risk of eviction, followed by Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge, also in the capital.

The hotspots stretched way beyond London, with tenants in Rochdale, Bolton, Chorley, Peterborough, Solihull, Slough and Leicester also being particularly likely to face the threat of an eviction, according to Shelter - which is running a Christmas appeal.

Separate analysis of the situation in Wales by the charity also found that around 12,766 renters there were put at risk of eviction over the last year, equating to 35 people a day.

Shelter said that rapidly rising rents, drastic cuts to housing benefit and a chronic lack of genuinely affordable homes are ramping up the pressure on tenants.

A private sector rental index from estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains recently found that tenants need to find £36 a month more typically than they did a year ago to cover their rent.

The average monthly private sector rent across England and Wales stood at £806 in October, whereas in October 2014 it was £770, according to that study.

Some housing market experts have suggested that changes for buy-to-let investors recently announced by the Government, which will push up their costs, will also have a knock-on effect for tenants and see their rents hiked further.

From April 1 2016, people buying buy-to-let properties will pay an extra three percentage points above current stamp duty rates.

The move comes on top of an announcement in the summer Budget that landlords will see their tax breaks restricted.

It was previously announced that from April 2016, a ''wear and tear allowance'', which allows landlords to reduce the tax they pay - regardless of whether they replace furnishings in their property, will also be replaced by a new system that only allows them to get tax relief when they replace furnishings.

Shelter highlighted the case of a woman named Angela, who has five-year-old son and fell into arrears after her rent was increased.

They were evicted by bailiffs in November, and have been sleeping on a friend's sofa since.

Angela said: "My son was born in that house, he learned to walk and talk there - we had friends and a garden and a stable home, and now it has all gone. I've tried to explain our situation the best way I can to my son and I'm trying to stay positive for him, but it's so hard."

Alison Mohammed, Shelter's director of services, said: "It's shocking to think that every couple of minutes someone receives a notice through the door with the devastating news that they might lose their home.

"We speak to parents every day who are desperately trying to keep a roof over their children's heads, but with rents soaring and housing support being slashed, many are finding themselves at breaking point."