Bedsit Britain: 160,000 people in England crammed into unlicensed housing

Exclusive: Analysis suggests there are 32,000 hidden, often overcrowded large houses in multiple occupation

Nearly 160,000 people are living in hidden, often overcrowded and sometimes dangerous bedsit-style accommodation across England, analysis has found.

Intelligence compiled by councils suggests there are almost 32,000 unlicensed large houses in multiple occupation (HMOs). These are believed to be home to at least 159,340 tenants, who are often drawn by cheaper rents amid the cost of living crisis.