Private renters ‘almost twice as likely to struggle with debt than UK general population’

Charity says stronger protections are needed or people will be left vulnerable to ‘hair-trigger evictions’

Private renters are almost twice as likely to be struggling with problem levels of debt than the general population, with a sharp rise in the numbers in serious financial difficulty since January, research shows.

The figures come against a backdrop of private rents in the UK hitting record highs, and days after the government announced a shake-up of the sector to tackle the “injustices” that many tenants are facing.