Childless couples are the most preferred potential tenant, landlord poll shows
Landlords across the UK think the perfect tenants are couples with no children and the least desirable are students, according to new research.
Some 29% of landlords put childless couples at the top of their list but only 1% say students are their favourite potential tenant, according to a survey by Intus Lettings.
The second most sought after tenant is a single young professional, with a quarter of landlords favouring this category, followed by families, which only one in five landlords prefer.
The results of the survey come as new figures from the latest English Housing Survey show that 4.5 million households are rented from a private landlord, a total of 205 of all homes in England and a 2.5 million increase on figures from 2000.
‘It’s likely that landlords opted for couples with no dependants due to the stability that it provides. They understand that finding the right tenant can save them time, money and stress in the long term and with the number of people renting continuing to grow, they want to be reassured that those living in their properties are reliable,’ said Hope McKendrick, lettings manager at Intus Lettings.
The survey also revealed what landlords consider to be the most important aspect during the vetting process. Almost 405 of respondents agreed that references are most likely to sway them to sign on the dotted line, followed by the general attitude of the potential renters. Age and marital status are the least important.
‘As the survey results prove, negative experiences with previous landlords or poor references from your employer can impact where you end up living in the future. Landlords have more choice as more and more people enter the private rented sector, so getting through vetting without glitches and making a positive impression is more crucial than ever,’ Hope pointed out.
When it comes to landlords’ frustrations, damage to property and furniture was the stand out concern, followed by failure to pay rent on time.
