The Government urgently needs to provide tenants with better information on their rights and responsibilities if it is to avoid a breakdown of trust between renters and their landlords, that’s the call from the National Landlords Association (NLA).
New research, commissioned by the NLA, found that over three quarters (79%) of tenants need better information about what they should expect from their landlords or agents. Worryingly, the NLA also found that more than two thirds (67%) of tenants were not aware of the Government’s How To Rent guide that is designed to help them understand their rights and responsibilities. The guide provides tenants with key information on what to look out for before renting, living in a rented home, what happens at the end of a tenancy, and what to do if things go wrong.
Most tenants have a good relationship with their landlords. In the survey, 68% of tenants said they never had any cause to complain to their landlord. A further 12% said that when they had complained, the problem was solved to their satisfaction. But the NLA is concerned that tenants’ failure to fulfil their responsibilities will undermine their relationship with landlords.