MILLIONS of private tenants have been failed over the past decade according to researchers at the University of York who say a "property MOT" policy should be launched.

A review of housing policy by academics at the university found regulation in the private housing sector is "confused and contradictory" and "failing at multiple levels".

The report said poor conditions for tenants are a problem at both ends of the market.

Dr Julie Rugg, from York’s Centre for Housing Policy, said: "Unbelievably, there is currently no minimum standard that properties have to meet before they are let and as a result, millions of renters have to put up with damp, disrepair and sometimes life-threatening hazards. A 'Property MOT' would give people confidence before they sign a tenancy that the property is well-managed and that standards won’t lapse in the future, while for landlords, it offers greater clarity and protection against prosecution."

A spokesman for charity Nationwide Foundation has called on the Government to "take the problem seriously".