The area with the most satisfied tenants is the East Midlands, where 83% of renters said they were happy with their landlord, according to a recent survey.
The National Landlords’ Association (NLA) also found that 82% of tenants living in the south-west and north-west also said they were satisfied.
However, the survey also underlines there are sharp regional differences between tenant satisfaction, with tenants in the north-east having the lowest satisfaction at just 67%.
The average national satisfaction rate was 79%. For landlords in the south-east the satisfaction rate is 80%, followed by the West Midlands with 79% and Yorkshire with 73%. Tenants in London recorded a 72% satisfaction rate, and in the East of England it is 71%.
’Not surprising that most tenants are satisfied’
The NLA’s chief executive Richard Lambert said: “It's not surprising that most tenants are satisfied, since good landlords make up most of the market.
“Private renting is far from the uncertain and insecure picture that is often portrayed, and these findings will reassure tenants and also those looking for a home in the private rented sector.”
He added that his organisation provides accreditation and training to help landlords boost their performance and improve standards by offering a better service to their tenants. However, Mr Lambert also pointed out that local and central government need to commit more resources to weeding out rogue landlords and tackling poor living standards.
UK rents rise by 2.6%
Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed that the rents paid by tenants in private accommodation grew by 2.6% in the year to January. When the figures are broken down, rents rose by 2.7% in England, 0.3% in Wales, and 0.8% in Scotland. The area with the largest increase was London, where rents rose by 3.9%.
Growth in rents coupled with a shortage of properties
Property experts say they are not surprised by the growth in rents, with a shortage of properties and growing demand helping to push them up.
In addition, growing numbers of people who cannot afford to buy property and those who prefer to rent are also living longer in rented accommodation.
However, there are growing numbers of buy-to-let landlords wanting to beat April's tax hike deadline for investing in property, and experts are also pointing to the likelihood of interest rates rising which may help quell the property market.
