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4 in 10 Tenants Face Issues with Having Essential Repairs Fixed
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Almost four in ten (39%) tenants face issues with having essential repairs fixed in their properties, leaving more than a third being stuck in poorly maintained homes, according to a survey from the HomeOwners Alliance.
The study of more than 2,000 UK adults found that 39% of private tenants have trouble getting their landlords to conduct essential repairs, while 38% live in cold and damp homes, and 36% have anti-social neighbours.
At the same time, 35% claim to live in poor quality housing, 32% have a limited choice of rental properties, and 20% are worried that their homes do not meet safety or fire standards.
Meanwhile, the majority of tenants in the UK fear that they will never get onto the property ladder, with six in ten concerned that they will not be able to afford to buy a home.
The research also highlighted people’s concerns and criticisms regarding the shortcomings of the Shared Ownership and Help to Buy schemes aimed at helping them buy homes, although the survey found that build to rent is forecast to become a more suitable solution, with the longer tenancies that it offers.
Furthermore, almost half (48%) of respondents supported the ban on tenant fees, 40% would like to rent from a responsible housing provider, 38% wish to see high quality safety and energy efficiency standards in their homes, and 35% want the option of a longer tenancy.
Paula Higgins, the Chief Executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, says: “We have a crisis on our hands. A majority living in rented accommodation desperately want to buy a home of their own – yet most think this is a pipedream. This shouldn’t be the case in the fifth strongest economy in the world.
“Not only that, but it is disgraceful that such high numbers of people living in rented accommodation are putting up with damp, cold properties and reluctant landlords who do not maintain their homes to the required standards. It has been incredibly unfair that such high charges have been put on those living in the rental sector, and the HomeOwners Alliance welcomes this overdue ban.”
She adds: “Help to Buy continues to be a popular scheme, despite fundamental leasehold problems, while features offered by build to rent developments are also attractive to consumers, including security of tenure. Shared Ownership has also lost some of its shine.”
Landlords, we encourage you to always offer safe and secure homes to your tenants, responding to essential repairs in a timely fashion.
