EVERYONE, whether they own or rent their home, wants to be able to go to bed at night safe in the knowledge that, all things being equal, they will wake up well and rested the next day.

Most private home owners take that for granted. Because they own their homes, most will ensure they are well-maintained, warm and well-ventilated and that electrical cables, gas equipment and appliances are all in good order and carefully looked after.

Those who rent flats and houses have the right to expect that the same, common-sense safeguards have been applied in their homes.

So the new figures revealed today - which show that there could be more than 1,000 unlicensed rental buildings in the district where crucial safety checks have not been made - are deeply worrying and bitterly disappointing.

Increasing numbers of people are encouraged by a plethora of reality TV programmes to consider investing in property as a means of providing an income.

Some redevelop and sell them on but many others chose to split them into multiple units and rent them out. Most, of course, will check out their legal obligations and act accordingly but there are, sadly, some who choose to join the ranks of the unscrupulous landlords who deliberately evade the rules in an effort to maximise their profits.

Landlords of large residential buildings with more than one household must get a licence from the Council and prove their homes are safe to live in. The fact that so many in Bradford appear not to do so is shameful - and, we fear, a harbinger of tragedy to come.