Landlords are helping tenants cope with utility bills

Landlords are keen to help their tenants cope with their rising utility bills, a survey reveals.

The findings from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) show that while 85% of renters hadn’t discussed financial issues with their landlord – 14% of them had.

And 66% of tenants report that their landlords responded positively when the issue of struggling to pay bills was raised.

Landlords had offered to help their tenants

The NRLA survey found that of the tenants who had discussed problems paying their utility bills, landlords had offered to help their tenants access grants to pay utility bills (13%).

Some landlords offered to invest cash to improve the energy efficiency of the property (20%), while 13% offered to help with household bills.

The landlords who offered to help also includes:

• Agreed a rent holiday/rent window (9%)
• Agreeing to reduce the rent enabling so the tenant could afford to remain in the property (8%)
• Landlord waiving the debt owed to them (7%).

Restrict the impact of rising utility bills

The NRLA survey also tenants what THEY had done to restrict the impact of rising utility bills.

Respondents said:

• 4% said they had limited heating and hot water times and turned off the heating in certain rooms
• 51% had cut ‘non-essential’ spending such as entertainment and household treats
• 27% said they had reduced car usage
• 47% had reduced their daily food/drink expenditure.

And, despite the rising bills, just 17% of tenants said they had invested in basic energy saving measures – such as buying draft excluders.

And 16% of tenants said they had asked family and friends for financial help.

Ratio of tenants who had experienced issues with mould

Landlords might be intrigued about the ratio of tenants who had experienced issues with mould, condensation or damp.

The survey reveals that 49.5% of tenants said they had not had issues, while 48% said they did have problems.

To deal with the issue of mould, the NRLA says that more education for tenants is needed ‘about the consequences of not having the heating on during winter more education is needed’.

‘Discussion about concerns over utility costs with their landlord’

In its summary, the NRLA says: “The survey found that when tenants have had a discussion about concerns over utility costs with their landlords, most received positive responses and support.

“Tenants concerned about rising utility bills should talk to their landlord, the findings of the survey show that typically, the outcome of such conversations have been both beneficial and worthwhile, with the landlord placing value on the tenant relationship.”