Landlords have gone mad with power. For far too long they have gone unchallenged, raising rents and lowering standards charging you an arm and a leg for a room you can barely take a couple of steps in.

Fortunately, the government is finally about to crack the whip on rogue landlords offering tenancies in tiny overpriced rooms. A new scheme has been announced to introduce a minimum bedroom size as part of a plan to tackle overcrowded homes.

The proposal – which will apply only to England – hopes to squash all attempts to profit from “rabbit hutch” style properties by forcing landlords to provide at least 70 sq ft (6.52 sq metres) worth of personal space. This size would apply to each tenant, meaning the landlord can’t bypass the rule by adding a bunk bed and making tenants basically live on top of each other, which they definitely would have done if not specified.

“In order to build a country that works for everyone we must ensure that everyone has somewhere safe and secure to live,” Housing and Planning Minister Gavin Barwell told PA. “These measures will give councils the powers they need to tackle poor-quality rental homes in their area. By driving out rogue landlords that flout the rules of business, we are raising standards and giving tenants the protection they need.”

Now just to tackle the fact that most rents take about two thirds of people’s wages each month, that more than one million of us have really shit landlords, and that you’ll more than likely only buy a house if you have rich parents. But hey, at least you might be able to open the door of your room without hitting your bed. Good times.