Tenant trust gap persists despite strong agent ratings

More than half of tenants rate their letting agent positively, though a sizeable minority questions whether agents act in their interests, research reveals.

According to research from Propoly, 24% of renters describe their agent as ‘good’, with a further 28% rating them as ‘excellent’, pointing to broadly favourable views of day-to-day service.

The tenancy platform surveyed 1,000 tenants and found that 25% of respondents describe their agent as ‘professional’, and 31% say ‘very professional’.

On response times, 62% report queries are answered within two days, and 24% say they hear back the same day.

Agents must do better

The group’s chief executive, Sim Sekhon, said: “It is clear from this research that letting agents across the UK are delivering a consistently strong level of service in many key areas, particularly when it comes to professionalism, responsiveness and the handling of maintenance issues.

“These are essential pillars of a positive tenant experience, and the sector should take confidence in these results.

“That said, there is always room for improvement.”

He added: “The findings show that perception matters just as much as performance, and agents must work harder to demonstrate that they are acting fairly and transparently for both landlords and tenants.

“While protecting a landlord’s asset is of course a priority, building trust with tenants is equally important for long-term success and retention.”

Recommend an agent

When asked about recommending their agent, 21% of tenants say they are ‘likely’ to recommend them and 31% say they are ‘very likely’ to do so.

Maintenance handling also receives positive feedback, although not without variation.

About 40% say issues are dealt with adequately, while 36% rate performance as very good when problems arise.

However, 29% say maintenance issues have been poorly managed, while 22% point to poor communication and 21% say queries have been ignored or handled too slowly.

On the issue of trust, 30% of tenants say they do not believe their letting agent is working in their best interests, despite reporting positive service in other areas.

And just 7% say they have taken an issue involving their landlord through a complaint procedure, an ombudsman or a legal route.