Rent crisis: why bad landlords are getting away with it?

Around 1.6 million people in England are privately renting homes that pose an imminent risk to their health and safety.

And when landlords fail to act, renters are advised to go to their local council for help.

But data obtained from 252 councils in England by this programme reveals that almost 70 per cent of councils have issued fewer than 10 fines each to rogue landlords in the last five years.

The government has said for years it will tackle rogue landlords but there are reports, which the government has denied, that its rental reform bill is running into opposition from Tory MPs who are landlords themselves. Downing Street today promised that the law would change before the next general election.

Warning: this piece contains distressing content