EU citizens living in the private rented sector (PRS) are worried that Brexit will make it harder for them to rent a home in the UK, according to a new survey.

A poll of almost 1,000 renters carried out for the National Landlords Association (NLA) found that three in ten (31 per cent) EU citizens were worried about their prospects as private tenants and that a quarter (25 per cent) say they are worried that landlords would be less willing to let to non-UK nationals following the result of the referendum.

According to the findings, 18 per cent of the UK’s PRS tenants, equivalent to approximately two million people, are EU citizens who currently have the right to freedom of movement within the EU.

However, there are concerns about whether or not EU citizens will be able to remain in the UK if the right to freedom of movement is removed or restricted during the process.

Richard Lambert, the NLA’s chief executive, said: “These findings show that a significant proportion of tenants from the EU are genuinely concerned they’ll have to uproot themselves from their work, studies, or friends and family on the strength of the referendum result.

“There is still a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the referendum, but we want to reassure European citizens living in the UK it’s simply not the case that landlords will stop letting to them just because the country has decided to leave the EU.

“However, if the right to freedom of movement within the EU is curtailed during the exit negotiations, then landlords may have no other option than to end tenancies rather than facing fines and even jail time if they let property to someone without the legal right to remain in the UK.”