Taylor Scott International News
Like estate agents, landlords often get a bad press but new research has found that they are more ethical that they are given credit for. Indeed, tenants rate their landlords highly but think more could be done, according to new research from Saga Home Insurance. In a poll of UK adults, 77% of tenants rated their current landlord as good or excellent, with just 8% giving a poor rating. Despite this 56% of tenants said that their landlord should do more to help them. The research also revealed the top complaints experienced by both landlords and tenants. Landlords were more likely to complain about late rent payments (37%), damage to the property (32%) and even tenants who vacated the property with little or no notice (20%). Tenants were most likely to complain about hard to reach landlords (23%) and poor quality tradesmen used for repairs (21%). However, the firm found it worrying that one in 10 landlords don't pay the deposit in to the Deposit Protection Scheme. This can cause issues with eviction, requiring landlords to pay tenants the full deposit before serving notice and starting the eviction process. The research also found that many landlords understand the value of responding to tenant enquiries more quickly (55%), or having home emergency cover that the tenant can call upon 24/7 (32%). However just 19% believed they should provide alternative accommodation when a property is made uninhabitable by an insured event such as flooding or fire, something they would get as standard with a Saga policy. ‘In the age of housing shortages and escalating rents, landlords have been getting some bad headlines, but the research shows the extent to which this portrayal is unfair,’ said Sue Green, head of home insurance at Saga. ‘The vast majority of landlords are conscientious and ethical, although tenants do believe more can be done which is why we have released our guide with practical tips to help them improve their ethical credentials,’ she pointed out. ‘Anyone who is a landlord should consider whether there might be more that they could do to make things easier for their tenants, which will be beneficial to all involved,’ she added. To coincide with the research, Saga Home Insurance has released a free Guide to Being an Ethical Landlord which offers insight on the benefits of being an ethical landlord, as well as advice on how to become one. Taylor Scott International
Taylor Scott International, Taylor Scott
