Renters live in “unsafe or insecure conditions with limited ability to exercise their rights”, according to a report by the National Audit Office.

The government body found “a concerning proportion” of the 4.4 million privately rented households in England live in poor conditions, in its survey the Regulation of Private Renting.

It says the proportion of households in England living in the private rented sector has roughly doubled in the past 20 years, and its regulation is not “consistently fair for renters.”

The watchdog called on the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities to produce “a clear vision” of how to overhaul this sector when it publishes its white paper next year.

The body adds the current system is a patchwork, with different parts of the country adopting their own methods of regulating the sector, which can often fail tenants.

It says: “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.

“The department is not proactive in supporting local authorities to regulate effectively. Furthermore, it does not yet have a plan to improve the significant gaps in data that prevent it from identifying where problems are occurring, which regulatory approaches work well at a local level, or the impact of regulation on the vulnerable.”

The NAO adds that between 2019-20 there were around 29,000 instances, where households were, or were at risk of being, made homeless following an eviction that was not their fault.

It says: “Many local authorities face funding pressures, which can constrain their ability to check properties proactively for non-compliance and therefore places greater reliance on tenants being aware of their rights and reporting problems.”

On average, private tenants spend more of their income on housing (32%), compared with those living in their own properties (18%) or social housing (27%).

The watchdog adds that the sector is highly complex and shaped by intersecting policy areas across government that affect the supply and demand of rented properties. This includes areas outside the department’s remit, such as energy efficiency standards, benefits and welfare, and judicial processes for tenant complaints.

The NAO adds: “The department is developing potential reforms to the sector and plans to publish a white paper.

“As part of this work, it will need a clear vision for what it is trying to achieve and an overarching strategy for how to address the challenges raised in this report, working across central and local government where necessary, if it is to meet its overall aim to provide a better deal for renters.”