Three tenants complain about squalid housing conditions in Oxford every day, according to environmental health workers.

Members of the Oxford Health Scrutiny Committee have been told that the health of people living in private rented accommodation is being put at risk due to poorly maintained properties and overcrowding.

Cold, damp properties are breeding coughs and colds, while fire hazards and poorly maintained stairs and gas boilers could cause serious accidents or even death.

The city council's environmental health team has received 1,127 requests for help this financial year from tenants who complain their homes are unfit to live in. But they warn a lack of resources is hampering their work.

Ian Wright, environmental health public health team manager, said: "At the moment, there are only six officers to look at food, health and safety, flytipping and private sector housing. There's a limit to what we can do.

"And we're probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg because many people won't contact us for fear of reprisals from their landlords. They're worried about being evicted."

When new mum Jodie Kelly moved into a flat in Marsh Lane, Headington, Oxford, it was "a death trap".

Light switches were hanging from walls, sinks were not earthed, and handrails were loose.

The 19-year-old, who moved in with her boyfriend, care home maintenance man Nicky Williams, also 19, and their daughter Ebony, 10 months, said: "I kept my daughter in the living room because I was frightened to touch anything. I was told by the environmental health officer that if something had sparked while I was washing up it could have killed me."

She added: "I was already suffering from postnatal depression, and the problems in our home just really got on top of me.

"After three months I rang the council and the environmental health officer came round straightaway.

"After taking photos and making an assessment, he rang me back and said they would do the work straightaway. An electrician came round soon afterwards.

"It made a big difference to our lives here."

At the moment, environmental health only have to inspect properties with a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence, which is three storeys and accommodates more than five unrelated people.

Mr Wright said the council was considering extending the scheme, so more houses would face mandatory inspections.

He added: "The more staff we have to address the issue, the better.

"There's good landlords and bad ones. There are ones we regularly chase to improve their stock."

GP Dr Joe McManners, who is also scrutiny committee chairman, said: "This is certainly a worry and something the city should be proactively tackling. Overcrowding and poor conditions certainly affect people's health.

"We see more depression and children who do not thrive as they should - and respiratory problems due to damp, like chest infections and colds."

The committee has suggested extending licensed HMO standards for non-licensed HMOs, and has asked the council to consider whether environmental health should advise health visitors and GPs on how to report problems.

Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust head of partnerships Jackie Wilderspin said: "We not only provide services to people when they're ill but also work hard to inform and influence other organisations to prevent ill-health. We'll only see continued improvement in health if we all work together."