Based on numerous TV programmes such as ‘Landlords from Hell’ or ‘the Week the Landlord Moved In’, one might think the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in Britain is ruled by money driven charlatans.
However, according to a new study by an online letting agent, MakeUrMove, 92% of UK landlords have a good relationship with their tenants. Some 98% recognise the importance of keeping their tenants happy and 96% aim to provide the best property they can.
Yet the bad name given to UK landlords as a whole by media, makes 65% of them question if it is worth continuing to operate in the PRS.
Negative media
“TV paints a picture of nightmare landlords running amok in Britain, when in reality, the majority of landlords are genuine, hard-working people who want to maintain good relationships with their tenants,” said Alexandra Morris, Managing Director of MakeUrMove.
Commenting further on the findings, she added: “These figures demonstrate that ‘rogue landlords’ are really in the minority, yet the portrayal in the media is leaving good, honest landlords feeling hugely undervalued.”
“We’ve found that a majority of landlords are happy for their tenants to make changes to the property, with 71% allowing them to make alterations, and many also try to do the best for their tenants even if it impacts their margins, with 46% saying they will keep their tenants rents the same despite rising costs, which is the complete opposite of the TV image of landlords.”
The bigger picture
Whilst most landlords agree that rogues should be exposed, they feel media coverage should be more balanced and not just show the worst case scenarios. The PRS should be represented more fairly and in achieving that media need to show the bigger picture and provide the British public with a proportionate view of the sector.
Morris explained that “with more than half of landlords also feeling the government afford them little to no value, it’s having a real impact on a vital part of the UK’s housing sector, risking crucial landlords leaving the market.”
Problematic tenants
Looking at the other side of the coin, many landlords have experienced issues with tenants too. According to MakeUrMove, 47% landlords had to chase late rent payments, around 25% experienced tenants refusing to pay for something they had broken in the property and 22% discovered extra people living in the property who were not on the lease.
Morris commented: “Given the heavily saturated nature of ‘rogue’ landlord TV programming, these findings may come as a surprise to many and hopefully provide a sense of perspective.”
