Landlords are assuming the role of surrogate mothers as new research shows tenants are making their renting decision based on the ability to offer a friendly shoulder to cry on, rather than price.
Women are more interested in traditional landlord skills such as DIY (47% versus 35% for men), but it’s men who are looking for a good listener (30% versus 20% for women), according to a survey of more than 1000 tenants carried out by the National Landlords Association (NLA).
In fact, 27 individual tenants surveyed went as far as to say they were specifically looking for a landlord with a mothering nature.
When it comes to dream celebrity landlords, Philip Schofield came out on top, while the likes of Cherie Blair and John Terry were among the least favourite.
The This Morning presenter’s caring nature seems to have won tenants over, as 20% chose Philip Schofield for his compassionate nature, 19% said he would be a friendly and sociable landlord, while 15% considered him a reliable person to turn to in a crisis.
The top female celebrity landlord was property guru Kirsty Allsop, who came second in the survey.
Kirsty’s sense of urgency in getting things done was a big appeal to more than a quarter of respondents; while 16% thought her maternal instincts would make her a good choice to be a great landlord.
It seems the female touch doesn’t just mean a sensitive nature, as Kirsty’s DIY skills were seen as more dependable than Philip’s – by both men and women.
Alan Titchmarsh was in third place, followed by Fern Britton. Bob the Builder came in fifth place overall, because of his DIY and business skills, beating Sir Terry Wogan and Sir Alan Sugar.
David Salusbury, NLA Chairman, said: "The role of the landlord is evolving and it can no longer be just about business if you want to succeed. There now has to be a level of emotional investment on the part of both landlord and tenant.
"Tenants expect a high standard in properties they rent, but it seems they also expect to invest in a landlord who will understand their life pressures, offer emotional and practical support and, in some cases, become a friend or 'stand-in' mother."
When it comes to reasons to extend their tenancy agreements, researchers found tenants prioritised landlords with a friendly nature (37%) over those with good DIY skills (35%).
Responding to queries quickly (83%), not turning up unannounced (60%) and giving tenants space to enjoy the rental property (48%) were also key factors in keeping tenants happy and potentially renting their properties for longer.
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