Renters feel they would have a better chance of avoiding rogue landlords if they were able to see feedback from previous tenants, according to research from Movebubble.
Movebubble.com is a new community platform for property rental, which asks landlords to provide testimonials.
While it’s standard practise for renters to have to provide references before they rent a property, landlords don’t have to do the same.
But Movebubble says the service is a great way for landlords to prove their credentials and get better tenants as a result.
Seventy per cent of the 1,000 renters questioned think references would have stopped them getting ripped off by rogue landlords in the past.
Showing just how risky it is for the UK’s nine million (and rising) private renters to sign a contract under the current system, half of renters (49 per cent) said that they would not have rented their property if they had had access to reviews from previous tenants, highlighting that renters are looking for quality landlords.
Logan Hall, CMO of Movebubble, says: “Two-way referencing will make the great landlords really stand out from the crowd and get better renters, and more sustainable rental income.
“If we can help people make the right choices and develop that all important renter-owner relationship then we can help build successful, hassle free tenancies. It’s a win-win situation.”
With Movebubble, both renters and landlords provide references which are visible to other users on the site when they interact with one another. This includes peer recommendations from employers, colleagues, previous renters and landlords and a star average rating system.
Movebubble also shows average response times enabling users to gauge the effectiveness of one another.
Aidan Rushby, CEO of Movebubble, says: “Currently, renters don’t really have any idea who they’re renting from until it’s too late, especially if they’re using a letting agent. Rogue landlords can hide, and good landlords aren’t able to showcase their credentials and attract the best tenants.
“We need landlords to provide references in the same way that renters do, so it’s a two-way street. 88 per cent of renters think that references would lead to more reasonable behaviour, and therefore better tenancies for everyone.”
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