At Andrew Lees, we appreciate these are challenging times for landlords and tenants. The financial implications of the COVID-19 pandemic will place many people, on all sides of the rental market, under considerable pressure.

We are here to help all local landlords, and there are indications that there is some positivity in the rental market.

English Housing Survey believes tenants are satisfied

Newly released data from The English Housing Survey has revealed that there has been an increase in the proportion of private renters satisfied with their housing.

Key findings from The English Housing Survey are as follows:

  • 84% of private tenants said they were satisfied with their rental accommodation

  • This represents a rise of 1% on the previous years’ figure

  • In the social rented factor, 81% of tenants said they were satisfied with their rental accommodation

  • 73% of private tenants were satisfied with the way their landlords carried out maintenance and repair work

  • 67% of social tenants were satisfied with the way their landlords carried out maintenance and repair work

Ben Beadle is the Chief Executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, and he said; “It is good news that private renters are increasingly satisfied with their housing and is a testament to landlords and the improvements in standards that we have seen in the sector. Whilst challenges clearly remain, this dispels the myth perpetrated by some, that tenants are generally unhappy with their housing.”

Landlords need to check if tenants can afford to let from them

Private renters spend more of their income on housing costs than any other category

  • The average housing cost for private tenants was £200 per week

  • The average housing cost for social tenants was £102 per week

  • The average housing cost for homeowners with a mortgage was £172 per week

With these figures, is it any wonder private tenants are under considerable pressure, particularly in the current climate. Landlords are advised to consider the ability of prospective tenants to pay all their bills, not just the rental proportion of their monthly outgoings.

The study suggests private renters were sacrificing a larger proportion of their household income for housing costs, than other groups.

  • For private tenants, housing costs accounted for 33% of a private renter’s income

  • For social tenants, housing costs accounted for 27% of their income

  • For homeowners with a mortgage, housing costs covered 18% of their income

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: “These figures highlight again the bleak situation that many renters are in as they struggle to navigate the financial chaos of the pandemic. And they echo what our services hear on a daily basis - that many families don’t have savings to fall back on and that young renters have been particularly badly hit. Our own research shows that almost 230,000 have fallen behind with rent since March, meaning thousands could face homelessness when the evictions ban lifts - despite Robert Jenrick promising that nobody would lose their home due to coronavirus.”

Shelter has provided figures saying:

  • 28% of private renters struggled to pay their rent each month

  • This 28% of private tenants amounts to 1.2 million people

  • 61% of private renters had no savings

  • For private tenants aged between 16 and 24, the proportion of household income spent on rent rose to 47%

Polly Neate continued by saying; “Government can protect these renters, but with only a few sitting days left before Parliament breaks for summer, it must act now. Some small changes to the law would give judges the power they need to keep thousands safe in their homes and prevent a wave of Covid-evictions.”

As an experienced letting agent serving the Bridgwater community, and many of the surrounding areas, we are here to help. We promise to stay in touch with the latest technology, helping our clients to achieve more, and we aim to support the local community as best we can. If there is anything, we can assist you with; please contact Andrew Lees Lettings today.