'Toilet that leaked into the kitchen': Furious tenants share their housing horror stories as hashtag #ventyourrent sweeps Twitter

  • Social media campaign was launched by activist group Generation Rent
  • People held signs showing how much rent they pay and their experiences
  • Lack of a bed, mice infestations and mould were some of the problems

By Emily Chan For Mailonline

Published: 03:01 EST, 29 April 2016 | Updated: 09:03 EST, 29 April 2016

Angry tenants across London have been taking to social media to share their renting horror stories.

The #ventyourrent campaign was launched by activist group Generation Rent in a bid to highlight the awful conditions faced by people in the capital. 

Young people have been using Twitter and Tumblr to share pictures of themselves holding up signs that show how much rent they pay, where they live and their horrific experiences.

Angry tenants across London have been taking to social media to share their renting horror stories

Angry tenants across London have been taking to social media to share their renting horror stories

Young people have been using Twitter and Tumblr to share pictures of themselves holding up signs that show how much rent they pay, where they live and their horrific experiences

Young people have been using Twitter and Tumblr to share pictures of themselves holding up signs that show how much rent they pay, where they live and their horrific experiences

The lack of a bed, mice infestations and lack of direct sunlight were just some of the problems shared by frustrated renters. 

One woman said that her £600 per month room in Whitechapel, East London, did not even have a bed when she moved in. 

Suzanne Thomas tweeted: 'Shared house, 10 people, £820 per room, Clapham. Boyfriend and I had no fridge for two months!'

Another said: 'Old Kent Road, £460 (exc bills). Toilet that leaked into kitchen. Nightly dinner accompanied by mice'. 

Some renters told of how they did not have essential appliances, despite the high rents they were paying

Some renters told of how they did not have essential appliances, despite the high rents they were paying

One woman said she did not have heating for a whole winter in a house that she shared with eight others

One woman said she did not have heating for a whole winter in a house that she shared with eight others

Another said how her room in Whitechapel, east London, did not even have a bed when she moved in

Another said how her room in Whitechapel, east London, did not even have a bed when she moved in

Mould was a common complaint among the people who shared their experiences.  

One woman said the situation in her bedroom was so bad that she had to sleep in the living room for six months.

Another said his landlord, who insists that he pays his rent in cash, refuses to treat the mould in his flat, adding that he can't afford to move.  

Meanwhile, Jay Morton tweeted that she managed to survive a whole winter without heating in her shared house in North London. 

One tenant said his rent was much more than half of his income, meaning he had to eat pasta every day

One tenant said his rent was much more than half of his income, meaning he had to eat pasta every day

Another person who shared her experiences said there was a foot-wide hole in the ceiling above her bed

Another person who shared her experiences said there was a foot-wide hole in the ceiling above her bed

And one woman said there was a foot-wide hole in the ceiling above her bed for nearly six months before it got fixed. 

One tenant said his rent was much more than half of his income, meaning that he had to eat pasta every day - with no sauce.  

The campaign comes after it was revealed that the number of people spending more than a third of their income on housing has risen to more than three million. 

Other problems included a lack of sunlight, despite the fact that the tenant was paying £650 a month 

Other problems included a lack of sunlight, despite the fact that the tenant was paying £650 a month 

One woman said the mould situation in her room was so bad that she slept in the living room for six months 

One woman said the mould situation in her room was so bad that she slept in the living room for six months 

Mould was a common complaint among the people who shared their experiences online 

Mould was a common complaint among the people who shared their experiences online 

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