GREEN MP Caroline Lucas has accused the government of treating renters as "second-class citizens" after the publication of a report into the private renting sector.

The report, published by the National Audit Office (NAO), found that private renters spend almost a third of their income on housing, compared with 27 per cent in social housing and 18 per cent for those living in their own housing.

It also found that more than one in ten - 13 per cent - of privately rented homes have serious health hazards, with 23 per cent classified as "non-decent".

In its key findings, the report said that, while the government has made changes to improve the experience for renters, "the way that private renting is regulated means that these changes are not effective in ensuring the sector is consistently fair for renters.

"There are differences in the extent to which landlords comply with the law in different regions, and tenants from certain demographic groups experience worse property conditions or treatment," it added.

The report recommended a review into whether current local authority enforcement powers are adequate and for the government to define an overall vision and strategy for the regulation of private renting.

Responding to the report, the MP for Brighton Pavilion said: "This NAO is shocking but, sadly, not surprising.

"This government, like previous Tory governments, treats renters as second-class citizens and turns a blind eye when private landlords rip-off tenants or leaves them in unsafe homes.

"There are plenty of good private landlords but those that aren't get away with letting homes that are barely fit for purpose, putting people's health and safety at risk.

"Renters lost what protection they had against losing their home when the moratorium on evictions was lifted in early summer, and local housing allowance rates, which determine housing benefit, were frozen in April leaving renters with less financial help at a time when rents across the country are soaring and incomes have been hit by the pandemic.

"The unfair treatment of renters needs to be put right. Private renters need to be properly protected against rogue landlords and unaffordable rents and Local Housing Allowance should be increased so it properly reflects local rents."

Ms Lucas also highlighted the "unsustainable" situation for renters in Brighton and Hove and said that average rent in the city swallows up two-thirds of the average salary.

She called for the government to "end its obsession with home-ownership and fix the housing crisis, starting with a mass programme of zero-carob homes for council and social rent, and the resources to properly inspect and regulate privately-rented properties."

The report comes after the city's branch of renters' union Acorn launched a campaign to ban second-home ownership in new housing developments.

The union is advocating for the introduction of a "principal residence policy" such developments, that they claim could help ensure housing is made more affordable and available.

A spokeswoman for the union said: "The fact that one in 37 homes in Brighton stand empty while people sleep on the streets and long-term residents and workers in Brighton are pushed out of the city by rising house prices is a disgrace.

"Ensuring that all new houses built in the city are used as primary residences will be a major step in tackling the housing crisis in the city."

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