Of the people in the UK who privately rent their home, nearly one in three have never met their landlord, a new study shows.
According to research from mortgage and loan broker Ocean Finance, 30 per cent of private tenants deal only with their letting agent.
A quarter of respondents (24 per cent) work primarily with the letting agent but have met their landlord, and nearly half (46 per cent) deal with the landlord directly on issues concerning their home.
Across the country, London renters were among the most likely to only work with a letting agent, along with residents in the North East (36 per cent and 38 per cent respectively).
The capital is home to the highest percentage of renters in England and Wales at 50 per cent of all households in the city.
Renters may want to speak with their landlords directly if there’s a problem with the property, rather than waiting to go through the letting agent to reach them.
They may also see good communication with their landlord as part of the service they are paying for. On average, private renters spend 40 per cent of their income on their rent, compared to the 20 per cent of a homeowner’s income that typically goes on their mortgage.
Ocean Finance spokesman Ian Williams says: “Being able to get in touch with the person who owns their property may provide additional peace of mind to renters that they know where to turn for a speedy response should there be a problem with their home.”
