According to the research, almost two out of three renters are struggling or falling into arrears.
More than a quarter of renters say they have faced a rise in rent in the past year.
In addition, the survey also uncovered that:
-One third of renters are having to cut back on birthday and Christmas gifts
-One quarter of renters are visiting friends and family less
-One in seven are using a credit card to pay their rent
-One in twelve parents in privately rented homes are borrowing money from their children to pay for rent
The study also highlighted that around 500,000 people (6%) had been forced to move home because of rising rents.
Campbell Robb, Chief Executive of Shelter, said:
"This is proof that the growing cost of renting is hitting families where it hurts, forcing them to make impossible choices about what they can cut back on next.
When families are forced to resort to taking money from their children's savings or paying their rent on a credit card, it's a clear sign that sudden rent rises are pushing many ordinary families to the edge.
If the Government wants to make life easier for ordinary families, it has to reform our expensive, unstable rental market."
