Greedy, uncaring landlord myth busted by survey

We’ve all seen the melodramas. The impoverished family, the dilapidated home, the damp, draughty living conditions, the fat-cat landlord ready to hurl them all out into the snow because they can’t pay the extortionate rent.

Stories about poor tenants and money-grabbing landlords are legend but do they paint a true picture of the relationship with their tenants in contemporary Britain?

Well according to a new survey, definitely not.

It reveals that more than 80% of tenants are satisfied (53%) or very satisfied (29%) with their landlords.

Deposit returns

Furthermore, results showed that just 7% were unsatisfied with just 1% very unsatisfied.

Money.co.uk surveyed 2000 tenants and asked how satisfied they were with their landlords, quizzing them on a range of issues from slow repair times to deposit returns.

And it turns out that landlords and tenants tend to rub along together quite nicely, thank you, despite the Dickensian myth.

Interestingly, according to the survey, people on average earnings (between £30000 and £49,999) were the least likely to be very satisfied with their landlord (23%) while 58% of those earning over £200,000 reacted most positively to their property owner.

Obviously, it is likely that those high earners cough up for the highest rents, so perhaps this shows us that the more luxurious the property, the better the service from landlords.

Raised concerns

Most responders said landlords took between a week and a fortnight to carry out repairs on their homes but 18% said that they had to wait as long as a month on average to get the work done.

Surprisingly, they younger the tenants, the faster the repairs were carried out as 18 to 24-year-olds had the quickest repair response rate closely followed by 25-34-year-olds.

On the down side, 1 in 5 tenants said their landlord did not listen to them when they raised concerns. But, again, the younger tenants (18 to 24) felt the most valued by their landlords.

However the best landlord/tenant relationship was reported by the highest earners (over £200,00) with a staggering 95% claiming everything in the garden was rosy.

As far as deposits go, 63% of those surveyed said they had lost at least some of their deposit during their time renting property – 15% reporti ng they had lost more than £500.

The most likely group to have lost a deposit were the 18-24-year-olds with 74% having lost some or all. This compares to just over 38% of over-55s. The big money losers were the 35 to 44-year-olds with just under 1 in 5 saying they’ve lost more than £500.

• According to , Copeland money.co.uk, Copeland in Cumbria is the most affordable place to rent in the UK with rents amounting to 18% of an average monthly salary.

Kensington and Chelsea is the least affordable area to rent in the UK. Here the cost amounts to 67% of the average renter’s income.

Here at Progressive Lets, we can also assist you with any aspect of letting property in Peterborough and the surrounding areas. To find out more, please contact us today.

We have an extensive service for landlords, and offer an Advanced Rent Option, which you can view here.