Posts with tag: tenant rights

Top 10 UK cities where tenants are unsure of their rights

Published On: June 17, 2020 at 8:21 am

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Categories: Tenant News

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tenants are unsure of their rights

An analysis by Boiler Plan highlights the top 10 UK cities most unsure of their tenant rights. 

They looked at the Google search volume for the term ‘tenants right’ for 25 UK cities and then divided this number the population. This revealed a ratio of how many individuals are searching for help.

The smaller the ratio, the higher the number of people searching for tenants’ rights in that city, Boiler Plan says.

#UK CityMonthly Search Volume – ‘Tenants Rights’Population of CityRatio
1Bristol540686,2101,271
2Belfast420630,6321,502
3Sunderland180290,0001,611
4Coventry260425,5661,637
5Reading190342,1171,801
6Leicester280552,1781,972
7Leeds390780,0002,000
8Edinburgh250536,7752,147
9Southend-On-Sea140312,3282,230
10Preston60141,8002,363
Top 10 Cities Searching for ‘Tenants Rights’ on Google

Most Googled questions related to private renting

Boiler Plan also researched the most common questions private renters are asking Google in this uncertain climate. These are the top nine results:

  1. ‘Can landlords increase rent’ – 3,200 monthly Google searches
  2. ‘Can landlord evict me’ – 1,880 monthly Google searches
  3. ‘Responsibilities as a tenant’ – 1,600 monthly Google searches
  4. ‘Can letting agents charge fees’ – 760 monthly Google searches
  5. ‘Can landlord keep deposit’ – 550 monthly Google searches
  6. ‘What are tenancy fees’ – 250 monthly Google searches
  7. ‘Can you paint a rented house’ – 220 monthly Google searches
  8. ‘Does landlord have to fix boiler’ – 130 Google searches
  9. ‘What is landlord responsible to repair’ – 110 Google searches

Jay Lee, who runs uAcademy, host of Mortgage Advisor courses, commented: “As the tenant, you should know what you can and cannot do in the property. You should know the guidelines to ensure the property meets the regulations set by the government and, more importantly, that the property is safe to live in. 

“It’s also essential to read your obligations as a tenant, as this will provide details if you’re responsible for certain repairs, maintenance or if the landlord is, etc. This will also make sure you don’t have any unexpected surprises in the future.” 

Rental Market Plagued by Financial Stress

Published On: February 27, 2020 at 11:17 am

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Categories: Tenant News

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Rental Market Plagued by Financial Stress

Tenants across the country are facing financial worries and admit that they have difficulty in paying the rent.

Research carried out by Intus Lettings polled 500 renters across the UK, and found, worryingly, that over half (54%) have concerns about being able to pay their rent due to financial difficulty.

In addition, with the average UK monthly rent sitting at around £530, half of those surveyed don’t believe that they are getting good value for money. It is worth mentioning however, that this monthly rental figure is an estimate. Because a national landlord register doesn’t exist, it is almost impossible to accurately calculate average monthly rents. 

Hope McKendrick, head of lettings at Intus, said: “These findings are truly shocking and indicate just how vital the requirement for quality, affordable housing is within the UK.

“Everyone has the right to live comfortably without being stressed about whether or not they can manage financially and sadly, that’s not the case for many. There’s a real responsibility on landlords and developers alike to listen to the needs of tenants and act accordingly.”

The survey also revealed that 64% of tenants would rather not be renting if they had the choice, citing their primary reason for renting as not being able to afford a house deposit. Shockingly, more than 50% don’t think this will change in the next 10 years.

Financial worries combined with the looming fear of potential Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions make for a difficult and stressful environment for tenants. Landlords must consider more than just their own investment when determining length of tenancies and monthly rental prices.

Hope continued: “Renting is a perfect option for thousands of people and many have no desire to get on the property ladder, but we must also pay attention to those that use renting as a stepping stone.

“By ensuring rental fees are realistic, long-term tenants are considered, but also those individuals with plans to buy are given more of a chance to save for their next step.”

Many landlords owe their tenants Hundreds of Pounds

Published On: November 27, 2019 at 9:30 pm

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Many landlords owe their tenants Hundreds of Pounds

Since the introduction of the tenant fees ban in June this year, a number of unintended consequences have emerged. The most prominent of which is that many landlords may now owe their tenants money for unintentionally (or otherwise) breaching the rules of the ban.

As we know, the fees ban means that landlords and letting agents can no longer charge for anything outside of deposits. Key handovers, ‘admin fees’, inventory reports and other miscellaneous charges must now be covered by landlords. In addition to this, a cap on deposit amounts was also set at no more than five week’s rent (six, for rents of more than £50,000 per year).

It has recently emerged that tenants numbering into the hundreds are due refunds after being wrongly charged for services, or by paying too much in their deposit. Some tenants have paid as much as eight weeks rent upfront at the request of their landlords, and are now attempting to get this back.

One tenancy deposit scheme has revealed that since the introduction of the Tenant Fees Act, they have received 2550 refund requests, totalling in excess of £817,000.

Danny Zane, the chair for The AIIC and MD at My Property Group stated “This is just the tip of the iceberg as for many years deposit requests had been on the rise in the highly competitive Private Rented Sector. I am certain there will be many more requests as many tenants will not even know about this and their rights. 

He went on to say “This is exactly as our Government intended with deposit caps coming into force and renters being given back some of their hard-earned monies. Great news for tenants all round”.

Many landlords owe their tenants £100s. If you feel you may be owed money then get in touch with your deposit scheme for more information and assistance.

Renting from Rogue Landlords is Not a Choice for Many Tenants

Published On: September 8, 2015 at 5:43 pm

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Those that believe there is no housing crisis in Britain typically accept that there are three main tenures available in the UK: renting from a housing association or council, homeownership or renting privately.

These are the people that assume those not locked into homeownership can move around an endless supply of private rental sector properties as they wish.

Renting from Rogue Landlords is Not a Choice for Many Tenants

Renting from Rogue Landlords is Not a Choice for Many Tenants

But judging by recent research from housing charity Shelter, private tenants don’t really have a choice when it comes to renting from rogue landlords. In the last year, 17,000 renters called Shelter’s hotline for advice on landlord harassment. Issues included verbal abuse, threatening behaviour, having utilities cut off and even burning of personal belongings.

These stories are unsurprising, as many people that have rented privately have had difficult relationships with their landlords.

Although the number of landlords harassing tenants is small, it is not insignificant. Renters can often have no choice in who they rent from, as competition for rental property is strong.

Additionally, the relationship is often weighted in the landlord’s favour; just a small disagreement can lead to the landlord evicting the tenant, and with them potentially a family or housemates.

These revenge evictions can strike hard; imagine being told you have just five days to find a new place to live, with the person kicking you out owning the rights to the property and with it, much more capital than you.

Many argue that tenants can leave their home when their contract ends and move around freely, but this freedom is only accessible if you can raise a deposit and afford a similar home in the area. Many renters don’t.

When beds in sheds stories enter the news, homeowners may ask: Why do people choose to live like this? What they may not realise is that renters often don’t have a choice.

Tenants rarely feel equal to their landlord. Renters are fighting for accommodation due to the housing shortage, and while they compete, landlords will take advantage.

It appears that the only solution is to create a healthier relationship between landlords and tenants, and a means of this may be to increase tenants’ rights. If renting is not skewed by threatening landlords, tenants may feel they actually have a choice.