Landlords in the private rental sector are out of touch with their tenant’s wants and needs, according to new research.
The findings from an online letting agent revealed that tenants are clear most often about what they want and they are willing to pay for it.
As an example, researchers say that 25% of tenants would pay £50 a month extra if they were allowed to keep pets.
In addition, 17% of tenants said they would pay £50 for a guaranteed parking space.
Tenants would be happy to pay more rent
However, while some tenants have indicated that they would be happy to pay more rent, many tenants also believed that it would be reasonable to pay a higher deposit for their home.
The survey of tenants needs and wants also found a parking space, a garden and furnished properties are most in demand and for those landlords who can deliver these will enjoy great opportunities.
Indeed, of tenants who were surveyed, 18% said they would pay £69 per month extra for a garden while 15% said they would pay £163 a month for a fully furnished rental property.
A spokesman for the agency said: “Tenants say they are willing to pay more in return for landlord’s flexibility and it's clear that what tenants want is out of sync with what landlords are thinking their tenants want.”
He added: “While landlords will diligently stick to a no pets rule and not provide white goods, the evidence suggests they could improve yields by relaxing their stance on these issues and look at what tenants want.”
Private sector landlords carry out fire checks
Meanwhile, it's been revealed that more than half of landlords in the UK's private sector have carried out checks on their property since the Grenfell fire disaster.
The research from Simple Landlords Insurance reveals that 32% of landlords have checked fire alarms, while 15% have asked a professional to conduct a thorough fire risk assessment of their properties.
Research reveals that landlords with houses in multiple occupancy (HMO) are the most proactive of landlords wanting to carry out checks; 50% of these landlords have checked their property’s fire alarm.
Simple Landlords head of operations, Alex Huntley, said: “Fire safety is on the landlords’ agenda with just over half taking action.
“Landlords have legal obligations to protect their tenants under fire safety laws particularly for landlords with large or shared properties.”
