Tenants keen on landlord feedback website

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by Gill Montia

A survey conducted by Upad.co.uk claims to reinforce the need for measures contained in a government consultation paper entitled “The Private Rented Sector”.

The proposals, which focus on practical help and protection for tenants, include a new housing hotline; a “trip adviser” style feedback website and a National Landlords’ Register.

Lettings agent, Upad, says it has conducted a poll of over 150 private tenants to find:

Fifty-seven percent knew nothing about their landlord before renting the property in which they currently reside.

Seventy-seven percent thought it would be useful to find out what other/previous tenants has to say about a landlord (pre-renting).

Eighty-two percent suggested that it would be useful to find out about landlords from a centralised website.

Commenting on the findings, Upad chief executive, James Davis, says: “It seems clear that tenants are now beginning to demand more information about their landlords, and that having clear details about a landlord in advance of a tenancy would make them feel more empowered.”

He adds: “I am all for encouraging the growth of professionalism in the sector, and getting rid of bad landlords to ensure that tenants are both protected, and feel confident about their property rental experience.”

Meanwhile, the National Landlords’ Association has come out strongly against the proposed new measures, particularly making the point that a “trip adviser” style website would require such intensive management and scrutiny so as to make it unworkable.