Banning landlords from turfing out tenants without a reason and making “open-ended” rental contracts the norm could help millions feel more secure in their homes, a report has suggested.

Rules preventing property barons from evicting people living in their residences for the first three years of their tenancy would give stability to increasing numbers of families living in rented property, the think tank IPPR said.

The report found that the proportion of people living in privately rented homes in England has doubled since 1997, from two million, or 10%, to 4.7 million, or 20%.

Researchers found around one-in-10 tenancies end because of a “no fault” eviction by a landlord, with 62% of these serving to enable landlords to sell their property or to use the property themselves.

IPPR said that sweeping reforms of the private rental sector would help both tenants and landlords, with research conducted by Sky Data suggesting both groups feel the system is “skewed against them”.

The think tank also suggested: 

• Removing the sale of a property as a valid excuse for evicting a current tenant;
• Restoring direct payment of housing benefits to a landlord where a tenant wants this;
• Establishing a national landlord register and a ‘property MOT’ to ensure minimum standards;
• Allowing tenants to undertake reasonable decoration and keep pets;
• And establishing a specialist housing court to resolve disputes.

It comes after the government last week announced changes to help end conflict between tenants and landlords, as well as house builders and owners.

A new Housing Complaints Resolution Service will aim to speed up the process for bringing about an end to disputes and to make it easier to claim compensation.

The measures were announced at a time of increased awareness of the housing crisis.

The IPPR poll of 1,100 Sky customers found that 53% of the wider public believe private renting works “very” or “fairly” unfairly for tenants, while just 19% say the system is fair.

Its research also found that Millennials, those born between 1981 and 2000, are four times more likely to be renting privately than those born between 1946 and 1965 were at the same age.

Darren Baxter, IPPR research fellow, said: “Despite the growth in private renting, the regulation which governs it is unfit for purpose.

“Families are exposed to expensive, often poor-quality accommodation and tenants face the threat of a no-fault eviction, with significant costs and practical impacts, including school moves for children.

“Increasing security for tenants through an open tenancy and preventing landlords from evicting to sell in the first three years of a tenancy will give much greater stability to families who rent privately, enabling them to make better homes.”

The housing minister, Heather Wheeler, said: “Everyone deserves a safe and secure place to live, and we have increased protection for people living in rented homes. 

“We’ve introduced measures to stop so-called retaliatory evictions and are supporting an Act that will ensure every property is of a decent standard from the outset. 

“We are not complacent, which is why we have recently consulted on introducing three-year minimum tenancies in the private rented sector and we are looking at the responses ahead of setting out our next steps shortly.”