1 in 3 Landlords Unaware Of Legal Obligations
Tenants and Landlords Need Reputable Property Management And Lettings Agents
Not all landlords feel the need to use a letting agent, preferring to handle all aspects of the letting and management of their rental property and tenancy themselves.
Landlords and tenants are recommended to use the services of a reputable letting agent, to save time, reduce stress, ensure legal compliance and provide them with professional expertise and peace of mind.
When a tenant moves into a rented property it can sometimes be confusing when attempting to establish both the responsibilities of the tenant with regard to care of the dwelling during a tenancy and which aspects of the upkeep and maintenance of the rental property are the responsibilities of the landlord.
Tenants who rent property directly from landlords have increasingly complained about lack of communication with the landlord or lack of action with regard to problems or repairs.
This has resulted in a rising number of private sector landlord prosecutions since 2010, where landlords have been found guilty of endangering the lives of their tenants by not complying with either safety or legal obligations demanded by UK law.
- 10% of tenants are renting property in the private rental sector (PRS) without a proper tenancy agreement, (AST).
- 30% of landlords admitted not being fully aware of their legal obligations.
A national study carried out by a leading landlord Insurance specialist found that 21% of tenants say they have poor communication with their landlord.
25% of tenants say it takes their landlord almost a week to respond to reported problems, with the same number saying their landlord hasn’t fixed urgent problems at all.
However, many landlords surveyed, feel exploited with 40% reporting having had troublesome or irresponsible tenants, that the landlord has been forced to evict.
On average, 66% of landlords without Rent Guarantee insurance said they have had tenants default on rent or not pay on time, whilst 80% of landlords surveyed have lost money due to unpaid rent.
Landlords and tenants need to ensure they use reputable letting agents to manage their rental properties and establish standard operating procedures and legal compliance so that each party know where they stand when issues arise.
