Its often assumed that location is the principle consideration for tenants picking property , and of course this has to be partially correct , however new research indicates that it matters as much , if not more , that the landlord and his / her Agent are in tune with their needs and concerns. This is especially true when things need to be done in a property and tenants feel sure that their landlord will react quickly to sort out their problems.
The bigger point here is that standards must improve and Agents should make their landlords more fully aware of the obligations of letting a property. Just having a property in what is perceived as a good location is not an excuse for poor presentation or failure to maintain.
Its a difficult equation to solve and even more so now as margins are squeezed but landlords need to have some contingency plans for repairs and replacements. Higher rents must be matched with better support for tenants and this is a challenge for all responsible Agents who also have to have the proper resources in place to be able to react quickly when necessary to satisfy reasonable tenant demands.
