Students in the dark over letting laws leading to homelessness and debt

Broken boilers, landlords turning up unannounced and unfairly withheld deposits; these situations are none too familiar to students.

Alarmingly, new research from Community Legal Service Direct has revealed that these are just some of the issues that two thirds of the UK renting population, or 9.6 million renters, don't realise they can put a stop to.

With house prices soaring, 45 per cent of full-time students rent privately (according to the NUS Accommodation costs Survey 2006/7) and yet 63 per cent of tenants in the UK are unable to name any of their basic statutory rights. This can lead to serious consequences from legal battles to homelessness and debt.

Community Legal Service Direct, runs a free and confidential advice service (paid for by Legal Aid) for people on a lower income or benefits, such as students, which people can use by calling 0845 345 4 345 or visiting www.clsdirect.org.uk. Community Legal Service Direct found that 85 per cent of renters in the UK have never received professional advice even though one in five people (21 per cent) admits to having had a problem with a landlord.

The free advice service is calling on students experiencing difficulties to pick up the phone to call 0845 345 4 345 and prevent manageable problems from spiralling out of control.

Ama Uzowuru, NUS Vice-President (Welfare) said:

"A significant proportion of private rental tenants in the UK are students and young people. They are among the most financially vulnerable groups in society and are often at the whim of unscrupulous landlords.

"NUS receives many horror stories about the way in which bad landlords have trampled on the rights of tenants. Community Legal Service Direct is an incredibly useful, free service, and we encourage anyone who is encountering problems to contact them for legal advice."

Other key findings from the survey are as follows:

· When asked to name their rights, just three per cent of tenants mentioned that the landlord is only entitled to keep their deposit if they can prove that the property has been mistreated

· Only one in five renters highlighted that a landlord must serve notice on a tenant if they wish them to leave

· 86 per cent did not mention that landlords must keep the building in good condition, maintaining gas, electricity, water and heating equipment

· A landlord's failure to do maintenance and repair work was found to be the most common cause of disputes, cited by 56 per cent of renters

· One in four (24 per cent) of those who reported having fallen out with a landlord had attributed the dispute to rent or deposits.

John Sirodcar, Head of Community Legal Service Direct, commented: "It is alarming that many tenants are fighting their own battles rather than seeking professional advice when encountering problems, particularly when free advice is just a phone call away.

"We would urge anyone experiencing major difficulties with their landlord to call our helpline on 0845 345 4 345. Ninety five per cent of those we help are satisfied and more than 98 per cent say they will recommend us. When expert help is at hand why struggle alone?"

Top tips from Community Legal Service Direct advisers on preventing problems:

· Get a copy of your written tenancy agreement, read it and keep it safe!

· Ask for a copy of any inventory that is made at the beginning and/or end of your tenancy agreement. If no inventory is taken by your landlord, make your own, and forward a copy to the landlord/letting agent including photos of any damage caused before the start of your tenancy

· Take photos of any disrepair issues in the property, and date them

· If dealing with antisocial behaviour/noisy neighbours keep a diary and forward a copy (not the original) to your landlord and/or local authority

· Keep a record of any phone calls with your landlord, and keep copies of letters to and from your landlord and record delivery if necessary

· Ask your landlord to secure your deposit with a tenancy protection scheme if the tenancy began after April 2007.

* Based on a nationally representative poll of 528 people living in privately rented accommodation. Interviews conducted between 18th and 22nd July 2007 by Populus

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For more information please contact Jenny Holt - jenny.holt@bluerubicon.com

T. 020 7260 2700

To speak to NUS please contact T. 02073806604

Notes to Editors:

Community Legal Service Direct is a free and confidential advice service paid for by legal aid. Our helpline 0845 345 4 345* provides independent advice about debt, education, benefits and tax credits, employment and housing problems to people who live on a low income or benefits. Visit www.clsdirect.org.uk to find out more.

*Calls cost no more than 4p per minute from a BT landline but calls from mobiles are usually more. If you are worried about the cost just ask an adviser to call you back.

Community Legal Service Direct's advice line is available in England and Wales, Monday to Friday, 09:00 – 18:30.

Free advice leaflets can be read or downloaded at www.clsdirect.org.uk. You can also get free, independent and confidential debt advice on our website and general information and legal factsheets are available in Welsh, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish and Urdu.

Community Legal Service Direct completed 111,245 advice cases last year - an increase of over 50 per cent on the previous year.