The National Residential Landlords Associations has written a letter to the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, accusing him of stoking tensions between tenants and landlords.

The complaint stems from a press release issued by the mayor’s office earlier this month, which states that, “one in four of London’s private renters are struggling to pay rent,” adding that, “a devastating tsunami of evictions” is on the horizon for many renters in London.

The NRLA argues that implying every tenant in rent arrears is automatically at threat of eviction is “unnecessary scaremongering”.

It adds that its own polling reports 95 per cent of tenants in the capital paying rent as normal or, in 12 per cent of these cases, as having arranged matters with landlords over rent cuts or deferred payment.

The NRLA says that it wants an end of accusatory rhetoric and to instead for a partnership between renters and tenants.

The author of the letter, NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle, writes: “As you know, the new court rules to come into effect when they begin to hear possession cases from 24 August provide an added incentive for landlords to seek to reach agreement with tenants about how to handle rent arrears without seeking to repossess a property.

“In light of the above, I should welcome an urgent opportunity to discuss with you and your team how best to proceed in a spirit of co-operation rather than hostility.”