Student tenants are commonly experiencing problems with both their landlords and utilities suppliers.

Billing disagreements are said to be the most common cause of disputes.

The claim comes this week from Ombudsman Services which adjudicates on complaints in both the property and energy sectors.

Based on research carried out in August with 1,004 student responses, Ombudsman Services concludes that 117,00 students have experienced threatening and abusive landlords, and that 27% of student tenants feel powerless against their landlords.

It says that dampness, broken boilers, faulty fridges, leakages and vermin top the list of complaints by student tenants.

Half of students experiencing telecoms issues battle with poor coverage, while a further quarter (26%) are affected by slow broadband connection speeds, despite internet access being crucial to their studies.

According to Ombudsman Services, billing discrepancies are the cause of most disputes – and almost one in 10 (8%) students have had to pay bills owed by a previous tenant.

While an alternative option of having utilities included in the rent is available for many student tenants, almost one in 20 say they have have never seen a breakdown of the bills.