"The relationship between landlords and renters is often presented as inherently challenging and dysfunctional, but as our research shows, this simply isn’t the case."
- Jon Cooper, Head of Mortgages at Aldermore
Of those surveyed (2,000), 26% of private renters have lived at their current address for a year or less, with three quarters of this group struggling to find a suitable property in their most recent search.
74% of private renters feel like they’re competing against more people when applying for housing which has led to seven in ten (72%) renters having to extend property hunting timeframes. Unfortunately, this has resulted in rising costs, with a clear majority (68%) of private renters paying more than they’d originally intended.
Amongst renters who’ve experienced a positive and respectful relationship with their landlord, ease of contact (70%) was prized as the most important element of this relationship. This was followed by making renting a straightforward and easy process i.e. minimal paperwork (41%), and freedom to make cosmetic changes to the property (41%).
Meanwhile, 77% of renters in the UK aren’t happy with current levels of support offered by the Government – those aged 18-34 are more likely to agree with this statement than those aged 55 or above (80% vs 71%).
“The relationship between landlords and renters is often presented as inherently challenging and dysfunctional, but as our research shows, this simply isn’t the case. Most private renters actually have a positive relationship with their landlord,” said Jon Cooper, Head of Mortgages at Aldermore.
He feels this might be a surprise to quite a few people, but it demonstrates “the abundance of good landlords in the market who are ethical, knowledgeable, and trustworthy when dealing with their tenants.”
“That being said, it’s also clear that a majority of renters are struggling to find the right home due to intense demand for properties. There’s no overnight solution to fix this sadly,” Jon added. He encourages lenders, landlords, and governmental bodies to work more intelligently together so “we can turn the tide and provide greater support to struggling renters.”
