12^th December 2022

'Voice of the Tenant' survey makes for interesting reading

The publication of a recent 'Voice of the Tenant' survey has given a fascinating insight into the key issues that are faced by the private rented sector. Commissioned by the TDS Charitable Foundation, the report consulted 2,002 participants from locations across the UK and from a range of ages, genders and life stages to uncover gaps in education and knowledge among landlords and tenants. The report will now become a regular feature of the Foundation’s activity in order to ensure it can continue its mission of advancing education about housing rights and obligations.

One key finding of the survey was that only two thirds of tenants were satisfied with their experience as a renter, with 22.30% neither satisfied nor dissatisfied, and 10% expressing dissatisfaction. Those over 50 – whether couples or living alone – appeared to be the most satisfied.

Also significant was the finding that 70% of tenants were happy that they understood their rights and responsibilities as a renter, although a degree of confusion seems to surround the documentation that they have received, and therefore taken on board.

Unsurprisingly, the picture surrounding affordability was less positive, with nearly 13% confirming that they were finding it difficult to meet their monthly rental payments, although 42% felt they could comfortably afford their rent. The greatest difficulty was recorded in the North East and the South/South East. Around 68% expressed the desire to purchase their own home, while 16% asserted that they had no interest in doing so. Overall, nearly half of respondents believed that they were likely to remain in the rental sector for life.

A healthy proportion – 42% - believed that they were in a good enough financial position to heat their own homes at all times, but more than 15% admitted to finding it a struggle. In terms of utilities, only 29% claimed to be comfortable in paying their bills each month, which is a worrying trend.

When it came to the overall condition of the property they were living in, 61% of respondents stated it was in good condition, with only 20% rating it as poor. More than a third, however, reported that they had had repairs outstanding for more than four weeks. The main areas where improvements were required were in energy efficiency, carpets/flooring and internal paintwork/wallpaper. Over half of the respondents felt that their landlords could improve the energy efficiency of their property.

More than 63% were satisfied with their landlord/agent, while 13.6% expressed dissatisfaction, and two thirds found it easy to communicate where needed. And as the government is proposing that pets be allowed in rented accommodation, the survey found that 39% of tenants currently do have a pet, although only 48% admitted to being allowed to have one should they wish to do so.

Finally, and perhaps of most concern, was the feedback on the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Rental Reform White Paper from August 2022 which aimed to address a number of areas of the sector which required change to make renting easier. 60% of those surveyed had never heard of the White Paper and another 20% had heard of it but had no understanding of its objectives. When given further details, 70% agreed that rental reform was overdue and 65% believed that such reform would improve their rights. To conclude, respondents were asked whether they felt stable in their rented home, and 61% felt they would have more security if S21 evictions were outlawed, while 45% believed it would lead to them staying longer.

For Andrew Ward, owner of Award Property Management, the TDS Charitable Foundation gives a useful insight into key areas where improvement is required. ‘At Award we’ve always gone the extra mile to ensure that we find our landlords high-quality tenants who are looking to build a stable home environment,’ says Andrew. ‘We make sure that the properties are clean and well-maintained, and we go out of our way to communicate clearly with every tenant, especially in terms of their rights. We believe that that’s why we have long-term tenancies and happy landlords and renters.’

Award Property Management are estate and letting agents in Cambridge. If you’re a landlord looking for an attentive and reliable agent for your rental portfolio, please contact us.