Renters are happy with location and flexibility, but not landlords or agents

Renters are happy with location and flexibility, but not landlords or agents

0:06 AM, 5th December 2023, About 5 months ago 3

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Most renters (76%) are happy with their current rented home, and more than half (54%) live in their preferred area, but many are dissatisfied with their landlords and letting agents, a new report reveals.

The findings from OSB Group also found that tenants also value the flexibility of renting, as it allows them to move easily and adapt to changing circumstances.

However, The Future Tenant Standard report also highlighted the challenges and frustrations that renters face in the UK housing market.

Nearly three-quarters (73%) of tenants feel they have been impacted by the lack of available housing, and more than a third (34%) report difficulties finding their existing homes.

‘The biggest upside of renting is location’

OSB’s chief sustainability officer, Neil Richardson, said: “The research shows that the biggest upside of renting is location, with tenants far more likely than homeowners to live where they want.

“It also shows that for the most part, landlords are living their tenant-centric promises, providing homes that are well kitted out and offer a positive lived experience.”

He adds that there is a challenge around service levels over what tenants believe they deserve, and they feel they are being supported.

This is exacerbated, he says, by a lack of a tenant-landlord relationship.

When landlords have a direct relationship

The research also highlights that when landlords have a direct relationship with their tenant, the satisfaction levels are significantly higher.

Around 47% of tenants say they deal directly with their landlord and 82% of those renters feel like they are treated fairly.

Also, 72% of tenants said they trusted their landlord.

Homeownership is still the aspiration for most renters

The report from the specialist lender also reveals that homeownership is still the aspiration for most renters, as only 26% said they would prefer to be renting today.

However, 71% said they are frightened by the size of borrowing required to afford a property, and many are struggling to save for a deposit.

The report also revealed that 59% of tenants are dissatisfied with their landlords and letting agents and have experienced rule breaches such as unreasonable financial demands or discrimination.

And a fifth (20%) of tenants feel that the poor quality of their property has impacted their health.


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Comments

Easy rider

17:07 PM, 5th December 2023, About 5 months ago

Good to hear that 82% of tenants that rent direct from landlords feel that they are treated fairly.

Old Mrs Landlord

21:11 PM, 5th December 2023, About 5 months ago

I would be interested to learn what sort of financial demand constitutes a rule breach. Also, it has been my experience that benefits claimants who are not chosen from the pool of applicants because they would obviously struggle to pay the asking rent from their benefit entitlement and therefore lose out to employed applicants who demonstrate that they can easily afford it will frequently accuse the landlord of discrimination for making what is no more than a prudent business decision.

Michael Booth

20:34 PM, 6th December 2023, About 5 months ago

Like to see when the new rules start for making people take a job if not their benifit stops , more evictions l think.

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