ls media turning landlords away from private rental housing?

AFS Team·14 August 2018·3 min read

ls media turning landlords away from private rental housing?

Research has revealed that growing numbers of landlords are becoming increasingly unhappy with the negative portrayal of landlords on TV.

Despite providing homes for millions of tenants, two in three landlords say they have been demonised by TV shows which is forcing them to consider quitting the sector.

The research from MakeUrMove found that 65% of landlords felt that some shows, including 'Landlords from Hell', are offering viewers a poor reflection of landlords and what they do.

The research also highlights that while many landlords agree that it's justifiable to help expose rogue landlords, they say more balance is needed to represent landlords in a fair manner.

The findings also highlight that tenants and landlords have good relationships which suggests that only a minority of landlords do not.

‘Good and honest landlords feeling undervalued’

The managing director of MakeUrMove, Alexandra Morris, said: “The research demonstrates that rogue landlords are a minority, yet the media portrayal is leaving good and honest landlords feeling undervalued.

“We found that most landlords are happy for tenants to make changes to their property and many landlords try to do their best, even if it has an impact on margins. This is the opposite of the TV portrayal of landlords.”

She added that more than half of landlords also feel that the government has little regard for them and their role in providing a crucial part of the housing sector, which is leading to some landlords to consider leaving it.

Ms Morris added: “With the saturated nature of rogue landlord TV shows, the findings may come as a surprise to some and provide, hopefully, a sense of perspective.

“The TV shows offer a picture of nightmare landlords who are running amok when the reality is that most landlords are hard-working, genuine people who want to maintain a good relationship with their tenants.”

The best buy to let areas revealed

Meanwhile, the best areas for landlords to invest in buy to let property have been revealed by Landbay.

Their research reveals that on an annual basis Monmouthshire in Wales is the best for rental growth at 3.22%.

The best the next best location is Nottingham with 2.87%, followed by Conwy, with 2.71%.

The findings highlight that of the 10 best performing locations, four are in Wales with three in England and Scotland.

Of the worst performing areas, Aberdeen takes top spot.