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English Housing Survey Shows Tenants are Happy to be Renting
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Results from the English Housing Survey show that 46% of 25-34 year olds currently choose to live in private rented accommodation. As well as this statistic, new research from estate agency Kinleigh Folkard and Hayward (KFH) shows that overall 71% of the tenants involved are happy living in a rented house.
Renting is popular for a number of reasons, and particularly appeals to a generation that appreciates the freedom of moving when and where they want.
Also, taking into account the cost of furnishing a home makes the appeal of rented accommodation understandable. Research from Santander has shown that the average first-time buyer spends £3,872 on furnishing a property. If we specifically look at first-time buyers in London, this average rockets up to £5,495.
By choosing to move into a fully furnished rented property, such expenses can be avoided. However, these furnishings are not necessarily going to be to everyone’s tastes, as many landlords will opt for a more basic style in order to save on costs themselves. Being left with poor quality, cheap furniture is not the best situation to find yourself in, but disappointment can be avoided by viewing the property before agreeing to a tenancy, with your personal expectations in mind.
Some letting agents, such as be:here Hayes in West London, have a key focus on the importance of properly furnished rental properties. They work with Habitat UK to ensure the apartments they offer meet their set standards.
Hayley Wills, Area Manager for be:here Hayes has commented: “Part of the be:here ethos is to offer our residents superb homes that provide them with style and comfort, as well as an excellent location.
“Renting – particularly in London – has become synonymous with cheap, low quality furniture. We’re turning that on its head by working with Habitat to give renters wonderfully stylish, high quality apartments that really feel like home”
Hollie Clarke of Habitat Interior Services has also said: “There’s definitely a sense that people are bored of low quality ‘white-flat-pack’ fit outs of some furnished rental properties that turn out to be identical to their neighbours.”
“We’re seeing an emerging market that instead want home furnishings with real personality – with interesting design details, clever construction, exciting use of colour – and will make a rental property more individual and, as a result, more enjoyable to live in.”
