The recent changes to the housing benefit scheme will have a dramatic impact on London landlords and tenants.

According to new government research, landlords in the capital are more likely to evict tenants than renters elsewhere in the country after the changes.

London landlords are more than three times as likely to evict tenants or fail to renew tenancy agreements (37 per cent) than to lower rents (11 per cent), according to a summary of early findings into the impact of changes to the Local Housing Allowance system of housing benefit.

In January caps were placed on the maximum annual housing benefit payouts at £20,800 for families in four-bedroom homes.

The changes led to 17 per cent of landlords in the capital telling a Sheffield Hallam University survey that they would no longer let their property to housing benefit claimants.

Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, executive member for housing at umbrella group London Councils, said: “The report’s findings are worrying, especially since it only covers the initial impact of the housing benefit cap.”

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