Rogue landlords have abused us, say 125,000 tenants

Moving into a new flat should be an exciting time, especially for a newly wed couple. But for 42-year-old Chris the rented apartment turned into a nightmare.

"It seemed nice at first," he says. But problems quickly arose and ended with the sports development consultant being pelted with stones by his landlord.

Troubles began when the couple spotted damp in the bedroom and then discovered there was a leaking roof. There was no gas safety certificate and lots of other little things, recalls Chris. "The kettle would sometimes blow up because there was an issue with the wiring."

The sink leaked into the flat below so badly that it damaged a television and ruined some baby photos.

The couple counted 18 things wrong with the place. So, when the time came to renew their contract, they tackled the landlord. Despite promising to make repairs, the work was shoddy and useless. When he was contacted again, the landlord turned to intimidation.

Chris says: "I'd written to the landlord and told him that we would be taking him to court because of the problems. But one day he started to become aggressive, shouting and calling me names. Then he picked up some stones and started throwing them at me. We felt really intimidated by him so eventually decided to leave. It was a stressful and horrible experience."

The alarming tale is not the only one in the files of the housing charity Shelter. It has published startling statistics today showing that more than 125,000 tenants have fallen victim to abusive landlords in the past year.

As well as threatening or abusive behaviour, renters have reported landlords cutting off utilities, entering homes without permission, and not protecting deposits.

Shelter warns that these rogue landlords are causing chaos in the lives of renters, who often don't know what their rights are or where to go for support and advice.

As a tenant, you have the right to live in a property that's safe and in a good state of repair. If it's not, the problems should be resolved without abusive behaviour. "No one should have to put up with a landlord who breaks the law, and it's so important to know your rights as a renter," says Shelter's helpline adviser Mark Cook. "Every day we speak to people desperate for help because their lives are being made unbearable by a rogue landlord. Some of their experiences are awful – from renters who've been illegally evicted and had their belongings burned, to those who've had utilities cut off because their landlord wants to intimidate them."

If there are problems, you should contact your landlord first to try to resolve them. "Make sure you're clear about the facts and what you want to happen," advises Mr Cook. "Explain what you'll do if the situation doesn't improve and describe how the problem is affecting you. But make sure you always stay polite and reasonable."

If you can't resolve the issue with your landlord, you should make a complaint to a "designated person", such as your MP, a local councillor or a tenant panel. Contact your local authority if you and your landlord still can't resolve the problem.

You'll find details of your rights as a tenant at the official government website gov.uk/private-renting/your-rights-and-responsibilities.

Shelter's website, at shelter.org.uk/advice, also has lots of useful information. You can call its housing helpline on 0808 800 4444.