Landlords reveal their ideal tenant

Every landlord has their image of the ideal tenant. With recent statistics from the English Housing Survey now showing that 4.5m households now rent from private landlords – a harmonious relationship between both parties is the only way to ensure a long-term, mutually beneficial tenancy. But what qualities make the perfect tenant, and how do landlords go about choosing tenants?

How Do Landlords Choose Tenants?

In a recent study performed by Intus Lettings on the tenant vetting process, 500 landlords were asked to reveal what type of person makes their perfect tenant. According to the poll, the majority of landlords would prefer a couple with no children, with 29% of landlords stating they would prefer to rent to that demographic.

The second favourite type of tenants is single, young professionals, with 1 in four landlords preferring them as a tenant, followed by parents and children, who were favoured by 20% of the surveyed landlords.

Despite representing a lucrative market for landlords willing to invest time and money, the least popular type of tenant was students, with only 1% favouring their demographic.

The study also prompted landlords to specify what aspect of the tenant vetting process will usually persuade them towards signing up a tenant. The majority of respondents (40%) agreed that a good reference was likely to persuade them to agree to a tenancy, followed by the attitude and manner of the prospective tenant during the viewing. The age and marital status of the tenants proved to be the least important factor when it came to how landlords choose tenants.

When it comes to the biggest landlord fears and frustrations, costly damage to their property and furniture were the primary concerns, with failure to pay the rent on time coming in second. So, when choosing tenants, landlords will want to find applicants with a good track record for keeping properties in pristine condition. As such, make sure you secure a gleaming tenant reference.

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