Contrary to popular stereotype, Britain's landlords are largely an ethical group according to research released today by Saga Home Insurance.
In a poll of UK adults, 77% of tenants rated their current landlord as "good" or "excellent", with just 8% giving a "poor" rating. Despite this, more than half of tenants (56%) said that their landlord should do more to help them.
The research also revealed the top complaints experienced by both landlords and tenants. Landlords were more likely to complain about late rent payments (37%), damage to the property (32%) and tenants who vacated the property with little or no notice (20%).
Tenants were most likely to complain about hard-to-reach landlords (23%) and poor quality tradesmen used for repairs (21%).
The research found that, worryingly, one in ten landlords don't pay the deposit in to a deposit protection scheme.
To coincide with the research, Saga Home Insurance has released a free “Guide to Being an Ethical Landlord” which offers insight on the benefits of being an ethical landlord, as well as advice on how to become one.
Sue Green, head of home insurance at Saga, said: "In the age of housing shortages and escalating rents, landlords have been getting some bad headlines, but the research shows the extent to which this portrayal is unfair. The vast majority of landlords are conscientious and ethical, although tenants do believe more can be done which is why we have released our guide with practical tips to help them improve their ethical credentials.
"Anyone who is a landlord should consider whether there might be more that they could do to make things easier for their tenants, which will be beneficial to all involved."
To download the free Guide to Being an Ethical Landlord, visit http://www.saga.co.uk/insurance/landlord-insurance/guide-to-being-an-ethical-landlord.aspx
