Mr Irons said: “I live in an HMO out of necessity, not choice, and I have no influence over the other tenants’ use of gas and electricity. Meanwhile, the cost of my food shopping has increased by 20pc. I have to account for every penny, I budget everything. I am already on the edge. When is this going to end?”

Chris Norris of the National Residential Landlords Association, a trade body, said: “The impact of rising costs is compounded for those who rely on Universal Credit as the Government has elected to disregard spiking inflation and leave vulnerable households to struggle with living costs.”

He called on the Government to unfreeze housing benefits. “So soon after the height of the Covid pandemic, we cannot afford another rent debt crisis fuelled by government inaction,” he said.

*These people asked that their names be changed