Over 1.5million of London's private renters have had to endure quality-of-life issues such as mould, leaks or pest infestations in the last year, according to a survey from homelessness charity, Shelter.
In what will come as no surprise to many of the capital's tenants, 39% say they have had to deal with damp or mould, while 26% said they lived in cold homes, or had inadequate insulation.
A quarter of those surveyed reported an animal infestation such as mice or cockroaches.
Even more worryingly, some Londoners are being put in danger as result of the unsafe conditions in their rented home. 14% of renters had experienced a problem with electrical hazards, while one in six lived in a home which is poorly secured.
With the average Londoner spending 59% of their income on rent, pressure is mounting for more to be done to protect the capital's tenants.
A quarter of Londoners rent from a private landlord — a sector which has very light regulation. Boris Johnson introduced the London Rental Standard in 2014 to aim to tackle this, but uptake is poor.
Campbell Robb, Shelter chief executive said: "Every day at Shelter we hear from London renters who are dealing with appalling conditions and, shockingly, most are paying extortionate rents for the privilege.
"We should all have a place to call home — somewhere warm, safe and secure, but for more than a million Londoners, home is cold, damp and often downright dangerous.
"It’s about time London’s 2.5 million renters were given a better deal. Renting in the capital doesn’t have to be like this, and the Mayoral candidates need to show that they will take action to protect people from unsafe conditions."
Shelter asked Yougov to carry out the survey. 739 Londoners were questioned as part of a wider study which totalled 4,900 people in Great Britain.
