Research conducted by investigative body ENGAGE has highlighted the pressing issues of the day for tenants located all around the country. What the research gathered indicates is that landlord-tenant relations are the primary reason for the frustrations of people renting living space at the moment. Such issues as a lack in communication between the two parties, as well as poor treatment and bad timing on issues with the homes that need to be resolved were shown to be a greater concern for tenants this year, with 49 per cent declaring that they had legitimate concerns to raise about these particular issues in the last year. It was found that this was particularly the case with tenants aged between 18 and 24 years old.
The problem is clearly therefore one to do with young people who feel that they are not being treated the way they should be by landlords, and the fact that the rise in first-time buyers has increased could show that it has got to the point where many would rather own their property than pay rent to a landlord that does not treat them with the respect or consideration that they deserve from them. Indeed, no less than 76 per cent of these 18-24 year olds surveyed felt this and this is a staggering amount of people that indicates the social problems affecting the young people in this country at the moment.
In a similar way, a quarter of 18-24 year olds surveyed by ENGAGE felt that the fact that they were tenants rather than homeowners made them feel more disconnected and alienated from their neighbors and local community. This was not a sentiment shared by older participants in the survey, of whom 15 per cent of those aged over 55 years of age felt alienated due to their status as renting tenants. Also, tenants in London were found to be even more frustrated with their landlords’ lack of communication with them.