Rental review reveals Scots happier with their landlords

Today saw the publication of a review of the private rental industry by the Scottish Government which found that people renting property in Scotland were happier than English tenants.

The review found that 85% of Scottish people living in private rented accommodation were either very satisfied or fairly satisfied with their rental residence and their landlord. In comparison, the most recent data for England was information for 2006, which showed that 83% of tenants confirmed similar levels of satisfaction.

Matters relating to tenants' deposits and response times for repairs were found to be the main areas where problems arose, however, the Scottish Government's review revealed that only a small number of people living in private rented accommodation reported poor standards.

Commenting on the government review, David Kendall of Scotland's National Landlords Association (NLA), which exists to protect and promote the interests of private residential landlords as well as to strive to raise standards in rented accommodation, said that the government's study showed that "the private-rented sector in Scotland is flourishing."

He went on to explain that the majority of landlords in Scotland were individuals, families or couple investing for capital growth purposes rather than rental returns.

"In this current economic climate, this investment strategy is going to be significantly challenged," said Mr. Kendall.

"What we must ensure is that all landlords become better informed about the residential lettings market and about their responsibilities towards their tenants."

Source: National Landlords Association (NLA) | Last updated: 24th March 2009

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