Three quarters (73%) of landlords are worried their tenants will not be able to pay all or part of the rent, research consultancy Opinium found.
Meanwhile 70% of landlords are concerned that their tenants will vacate, leaving them with an empty property.
David Cox, chief executive, ARLA Propertymark, said: “It’s worrying to see that the vast majority of renters and landlords are concerned about rent payments.
“Unfortunately, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, more people may see changes in their income which could leave them stressed about affording rent whilst providing for themselves and their families.
“However, there is lots of government support available that should allow tenants to continue to pay their rent and landlords to have an income if rent payments do stop.
“Clearly not enough is being done to explain and highlight these policies, but we would urge everyone to look into these and understand what help they may be eligible for.
“Both renters and landlords should take full advantage of the government schemes available during this difficult period.”
The majority (58%) of renters who were working before the COVID-19 outbreak report they have had their employment impacted in some way,
Two fifths (43%) of those whose work has been impacted have struggled to pay rent, bills or other essentials such as food.
A quarter (25%) have either had to voluntarily leave their home, move in with friends or parents, or request for their tenancy to end earlier than planned to avoid paying rent.
And a similar proportion (24%) whose employment has changed have already had to dip into savings to get by.
Many renters do not know about the current policies that are available to support them.
While two-thirds (65%) are aware the government has made £500m available to fund households experiencing financial hardship, three in five (61%) admit they have no actual knowledge about what that means or what it entails.
Furthermore 43% are completely unaware that the government will increase the housing element of Universal Credit to cover the cheapest 30% of rents in an area.
One in five (19%) are unaware that government has banned new eviction proceedings against tenants for the next three months.
James Endersby, chief executive at Opinium, added: “Our research shows that renters are finding it particularly tough. Many have found their employment situation has changed, but their rental payments still remain, and this is already becoming a struggle for some.
“A substantial number of renters have had to use savings or financial help to get by, and if we are in this predicament for the long term then their problems will only get worse.
“It’s clear that renters do not have the full perspective of their rights and entitlements that are crucial in guiding them through the outbreak, but these measures could make all the difference.”
