Private tenants could decide Rochdale MP's future

Simon Danczuk MP

Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk could lose his seat at next year's General Election if he doesn't win over private renters, according to new research.

Campaign group Generation Rent say that 35% of private tenants are potential swing voters and has identified Mr Danczuk's Rochdale constituency as one where the people renting from private landlords could be a deciding factor in the 2015 General Election.

Alex Hilton, Director of Generation Rent, said: "Because home ownership is off limits to millions, private renters have become a potent electoral force in parts of Greater Manchester.

"With people cutting back on essentials just to pay the rent, the private rented sector needs to start working for the people living there and they will reward candidates who support reform.

"Generation Rent will be working with local campaigners between now and the election to make sure renters have something to vote for."

Analysis has identified a total of 86 parliamentary seats where the overall majority is less than 35 per cent of the private renter population; the proportion of tenants in the private rented sector who say they change party allegiance between elections.

According to the ComRes findings, two thirds of private renters in the UK (67 per cent) say they are stuck renting because of the cost of buying, and more than half (52 per cent) consider the cost of rent to be their biggest problem.

Rent is so expensive that two in five private renters (39 per cent) say that they have had to cut back on heating their current property because of the cost of rent, while a third (33 per cent) say that they have had to cut back on food.

Generation Rent is campaigning to fix the multiple problems that private renters face, including high rents, poor conditions, short-term and insecure tenancies and mistreatment by landlords and letting agents.

Generation Rent has received a £725,000 grant from the Nationwide Foundation, which supports organisations working to create decent, affordable homes.