MORE than a quarter of a million tenant families have to take on serious debt when they move, research from charity Shelter reveals today.

Researchers found that families living in private rented accommodation face unstable, short contracts and are forced to fork out  an average £1,400 every time they move to cover removal vans, paying rent on two properties, cleaning costs and furniture.

One in four families are taking on credit card and overdraft debts, and payday loans, to cover the cost of the upheavals.