More than one and a half million children in England are currently living in excessive cold, damp or mouldy private rented homes, new research has revealed.

A new study by Citizens Advice has found that millions of people who are renting in the private sector are living in damp and draughty homes, which is affecting their health.

The charity’s research found that 1.6 million children live in privately rented homes with damp, mould or excessive cold. They also estimate that more than half of private renters in England – 2.7 million households – are experiencing one or more of these issues.

Citizens Advice also discovered that private tenants are 73% more likely to be living with damp if they live in a property with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D-G rather than A-C.

The charity is calling on the Government to bring regulation of the private rental sector in line with social housing by following the lead set by Awaab’s law, a piece of legislation which will place legally binding timelines on social landlords to deal with damp, mould and other serious issues.

Gillian Cooper, head of Energy Policy at Citizens Advice, said: ‘Every week we hear stories of people living in cold, damp and mouldy properties they can’t afford to heat properly.

‘It’s shameful that more than 20 years since legislation came into force to reduce fuel poverty and improve the energy performance of homes, people are still suffering.

‘Improving energy efficiency in privately rented homes has never been more urgent. It's the step needed to keep people’s essential bills low, while also helping to protect their mental and physical health.’