Pet hates - landlords and tenants edition
The key to a successful tenancy agreement is to keep both landlords and tenants happy and content. However, not everyone is lucky enough to be in a perfect tenancy situation, and a new study conducted by Endsleigh, a landlord and tenant insurance provider, has revealed what annoys tenants and landlords the most.
As part of Endsleigh's 2015 ‘Better Relations’ campaign, which aims to promote stress-free lettings for UK landlords and tenants, 1,428 tenants and 1,217 landlords were surveyed about their pet peeves. The results, while not too surprising, do highlight a few areas which come up frequently in these kinds of surveys.
What do tenants hate the most?
According to the results, 44% of the tenants surveyed said that the most frustrating thing for them was when landlords failed to fix maintenance issues, closely followed by when landlords are hard to contact or are unresponsive (40%). 40% of the tenants surveyed also indicated that cheap or quick-fix repairs were a major annoyance. Furthermore, it was also revealed that over 50% of tenants who left a property due to a row with their landlord did so because the property was in a poor state and repairs were not being carried out in a timely manner.
What do landlords hate the most?
On the other hand, the survey discovered that 29% of landlords were frustrated by damage to the property and furnishings, while 24% of landlords hated it when tenants kept quiet about problems with or damage to the property. 22% of landlords were also annoyed when tenants check-out and leave the property in a worse state compared to that documented in the check-in inventory.
Acts of kindness can go a long way
Despite the analysis showing that there are issues that occasionally pop up between tenants and landlords, the survey found that acts of kindness can go a long way to improve relations between the two parties. It was discovered that 34% of landlords have given their tenants either a welcome or farewell gift, with 30% of tenants saying they’ve received some act of kindness from a landlord, be that help with DIY or even a bottle of wine.
Statistics show that 70% of tenants who receive an act of kindness tend to remain in a property for at least 24 months, compared to 53% of tenants who don’t receive any form of kind gesture. Overall, 72% of tenants who receive a gesture had a positive perception of their landlord.
Marcus Latchford, Endsleigh’s lettings and landlords manager, said that a good working relationship between landlords and tenants is vital for any tenancy to succeed in the long-term, and that property maintenance is vital to maintain this relationship. Tenants want to live in a comfortable and safe home while landlords want to receive a reliable stream of income and rent out their properties to conscientious tenants.
He also added that landlords should prioritise property maintenance to ensure that tenancies last longer and to save money on big repair bills.
Here at CPS Homes, we understand that the little things matter and that an act of kindness can go a long way. Whether you’re a landlord or tenant, we can help you! We can source you tenants or find you a dream property in Cardiff. Contact us today!
