Most rentals go along without too many problems if any at all; turning out to be a good deal, benefitting both tenant and landlord. There will be the occasional call to a landlord, though, so online retailer Lightbulbs Direct decided to find out what prompts the UK’s tenants to get on the blower.
Damage and decoration
By far the biggest reason for a call to the landlord, with 66% of tenants having made one, is to fix a broken window. Just under half (49%) call up the landlord to ask if they can decorate.
Broken household appliances also warrant a few phone calls, with 46% of the survey respondents calling to sort out malfunctioning washing machines or ovens. Blocked plugs and toilets get 44% of tenants going and a dirty or neglected property will have 33% of renters bending ears.
More unusual requests
Some tenants – 16% – think it’s OK to ask their landlord to help with hanging pictures up and 8% call for help with tightening doorframe screws. For some reason, 7% of renters think they need their landlord’s help with moving furniture around.
Obviously, some matters need immediate attention – a leak, a faulty boiler or a broken oven, for example – and no landlord worth his or her salt would delay here. There’s no need to rush over to the property to shift a sofa out of a corner, though, or to tighten a few loose screws.
It’s important to act on reasonable requests, however, as this keeps the property in a rentable condition and maintains a good relationship with the tenants. If they decide to up and leave because they haven’t had a working oven for a month, then you’ll face a void period and some bad feedback (as well as the cost of a new oven).
Don’t take renters for granted
Nearly 90% of tenants say that they’d look to move out of their rental if there was a poor relationship with the landlord; a rapid turnover of tenants doesn’t inspire confidence.
Thankfully, only 18% of the tenants in the survey described their landlord as unapproachable, although ideally, the figure would be nearer to zero. Landlords should always be approachable, friendly and keep their tenants in the loop about repairs and replacements. It makes good sense that if you provide a warm, safe home, people will want to stay in it for the long-term, which is a win-win.
