A study by Crisis, a charity for the homeless, has revealed that there a limited number of properties to rent in the UK for young single people on benefits.

Using mystery shoppers looking for a room in shared properties, the charity investigated the private rental market in Birmingham, Leeds and Lewisham, London.

Across the three locations there was 4360 shared properties advertised as available, however only 13% (560) of them were affordable within the LHA Shared Accommodation Rate (SAR). Yet within this number only 12% (66) of the 560 that should be open to SAR recipients were in fact accessible to them because the vast majority of landlords/agents were unwilling to let to Housing Benefit claimants.

Thus only a paltry 1.5% (66) of the 4360 shared properties advertised in the three locations were actually available to SAR recipients.

The reports states: ‘This study raises serious questions about the ability of SAR claimants (and LHA claimants more generally) to find private rented accommodation. Contrary to what the Government says, a third of properties are simply not available, affordable and accessible to rent.’

The research highlighted that of the 1,813 shared property rooms available in Birmingham, only 188 were affordable, but of these, only 29 were available to benefits tenants.

In Leeds, of the 1,877 rooms available only 290 were affordable with just 31 being open to housing benefit tenants.

In Lewisham, a total of 670 rooms were available, of which 82 were affordable and just six open to benefit tenants.

The reports stated ‘The study also highlights concerns about how the SAR has been calculated, given the very low levels of shared accommodation which are affordable and fall within the SAR.

‘The PRS is increasingly being looked to by central and local government to meet housing need so it is very worrying that so few properties are available, affordable and accessible to those on benefits. There are questions to be answered not only about the affordability of accommodation but about why there appears to be such reluctance now amongst landlords to let to those in receipt of Housing Benefit.’