This follows the government’s announcement of an extension to the ban on the enforcement of most repossessions in the rental housing market in England.

Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “The repossessions ban is a sticking plaster that will ultimately lead to more people losing their homes.

“It means tenants’ debts will continue to mount to the point where they have no hope of paying them off leading eventually to them having to leave their home.

“Instead the government should recognise the crisis facing many tenants and take immediate action to enable them to pay their debts as is happening in Scotland and Wales.

“The objective should be to sustain tenancies in the long term and not just the short term.”