Some 30 per cent of private landlords are worried that they will not receive rent from their tenants, according to insurance firm Direct Line for Business.
And even though missing rent payment breaks the rules of a tenancy agreement, one in five landlords in the UK are concerned about their cash flow at the moment.
The study also indicated that almost one in ten landlords are cancelling their insurance cover to save cash while times are hard.
Moreover, nearly one in six people who rent out their property to others have changed their payment terms recently.
Kate Syred, head of Direct Line for Business, said: "High numbers of landlords [are] cancelling insurance policies to save money."
She added that the measures introduced by the government to give tenants more protection in the event of their landlord's home being repossessed should be welcomed, but there is still a chance renters will end up without a place to live.
Meanwhile, recent Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors' research showed there has been a reduction in the number of rental properties on the market, which the organisation suggests will relieve pressure on landlords to lower rent.
Written by John Weeks
