Poll reveals a pet friendly home is high on priority list for tenants

A pet friendly home is the most desirable attribute in a rental property, according to new research aimed at giving landlords an insight into the wants and needs of their tenants.

The research found that 14% renters rated pets being allowed in the property as their most important requirement. That figure nearly doubles in the North East to 27% but shrinks to just 3% of renters in London.

Women are more than twice as likely as men to prioritise a pet-friendly property at 18% and 8% respectively, the poll form buy to let lender Landbay also found.

A home which is unfurnished comes second, with 12% of renters saying this is the most desirable attribute. Those aged 55 and above are five times more likely to consider an unfurnished property as crucially important than those aged between 18 and 34, at 22% and 4% respectively.

A garden was third, with 11% of renters rating outdoor space as their most important attribute. Parents at 15% are more than twice as likely to prioritise a garden compared to non-parents at 7%.

Off-street parking and the quality of a property’s décor came fourth and fifth respectively. While having a dryer came bottom of the list of most desirable attributes with just 1% of renters considering it key to their home. A king-sized bed, a balcony, and a dishwasher also polled just 1%. Just 2% of private renters consider a new build property as a priority.

‘This will make interesting reading for landlords, who could be forgiven for believing little luxuries like a dishwasher, dryer and even a king-sized bed make all the difference for tenants. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth,’ said Deborah Mudway, Landbay director.

‘Landbay is investing in a research series to help landlords understand tenants and opportunities within the private rental sector. This edition shows renters value two key attributes above all others that are fundamentally free to bring in. In short, they want to make their property feel like home by bringing both pets and their own furniture with them,’ she pointed out.

‘The reality is, aside from a deeper clean at the end of a tenancy, this really isn’t hard for landlords to implement. Essentially, landlords knowing what renters want can make for a happier, more prosperous relationship which benefits both parties in the long run,’ she added.