This is the equivalent of 941,000 people currently being evicted. Of those at risk of eviction, 504,000 tenants disclosed that they had been threatened with an eviction notice in the past month, up 80 percent from the same period last year.
The Shetler charity also told ITV news that 482,000 private tenants were behind on rent and at risk of losing their homes.
Landlords can legally evict tenants if they owe at least two months’ rent.
Shelter also found that a quarter of private renters, equivalent to 2.8 million people, are constantly struggling to pay their rent, which is 24 percent higher than last year.
The charity also found that 69 per cent, about 7.7 million people, would struggle to find a home this winter if they were evicted.
Shelter Chief Executive Polly Neate said: “Nearly one million private tenants are at risk of eviction this winter, with more to come.
“Every day, our emergency hotline counselors take heartbreaking calls – from the mother who skips meals to pay the rent to the family who is terrified they will spend Christmas in a horrible homeless shelter.
“The government’s refusal to freeze housing benefit, while private rents are rising at a record pace, means the rent crisis is fast becoming a homelessness emergency.”
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The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), which represents private landlords, has asked the government to “do more to support those most in need of help”, including thawing housing benefit.
NRLA policy director Christ Norris has called on the government to tackle the rental crisis, saying recent tax increases have reduced the number of homes available to rent, but demand is still the same, driving up rents.
Mr Norris said: “The vast majority of landlords want to help tenants stay in their homes whenever possible.
“It is downright absurd that support for housing costs should be linked to rents as they were three years ago, not as they are now.”