A property’s condition is very important to over half of tenants in the UK

The condition of a rental property is the most important consideration for new tenants in the UK private rental sector, followed by the quality of the landlords and a value for money rent.

Research shows that 52% of tenants believe that the state of the home they are renting is extremely important while 46% say having a good landlords is equally important.

Some 45% want value for money when renting a home in the UK and location is extremely important for 38%, according to new research from agents Your Move.

The research also found that parking is very important for 31% and having a home that is low maintenance for 24% while 20% want good storage space.

The things that matter less are having a garden, communal space and additional services. Just 17% rated having a garden as extremely important and 10% a communal space while just 7% though additional services were important.

The research also found that tenants who took part in the survey generally had a high level of satisfaction when renting with 66% either happy or very happy with their current circumstances. This is compared to only 10% who answered that they were unhappy and 5% very unhappy.

‘It’s not just about where you actually live anymore, but also the condition of the property as well as whose roof you’ll be living under, that are collectively important to tenants these days,’ said Valerie Bannister, head of lettings at Your Move .

‘As the rental sector continues to grow, so do people’s expectations of what a property should offer them and it’s understandable that landlords who present and maintain their properties and who even consider the lifestyles of their prospective tenants will be viewed more favourably than others,’ she pointed out.

‘It reflects our findings that the landlord’s willingness to respond to reasonable requests from tenants, for property improvements etc. is viewed as extremely important when a tenant makes their decision to rent,’ she added.