Renters in Brent are being asked to share their experiences with their council to help improve the market for thousands of people.

A survey, run by Future of London on behalf of Brent Council, seeks to collect information on several issues such as poor living conditions or expensive costs.

According to the council, around 130,000 people in the borough live in the private rental sector and it has urged as many of these as possible to complete the questionnaire.

Cllr Eleanor Southwood (Lab, Queens Park), who is responsible for housing and welfare reform at Brent Council, said: “Brent is a popular place to rent a home because of our fantastic transport links, wonderful green spaces and diverse and uplifting cultural scene.

“For lots of people, renting is the right solution and provides the flexibility they need.

“Unfortunately, we also know that many people find themselves paying incredibly high rents for poor quality, insecure housing. This is not fair and only serves to perpetuate inequality.

“If you rent in the borough, please do fill in the survey as it will help the council understand what more can be done to improve the quality of life for the thousands of renters in the borough.”

It comes following the publication of a Brent poverty commission last year, which showed housing costs have a clear impact on poverty levels in the borough and, in turn, access to employment and education opportunities.

According to the report, 17 per cent of households in Brent live below the poverty line.

This number jumps to a third (33 per cent) when housing costs are taken into account, with many people struggling to cover other essentials such as food and utilities as a result.