Many tenants have stated that they feel “intimidated” by agents and or landlords calling them to talk about their arrears and would be far more comfortable if they received texts instead.

pixabay.com

A small survey of 200 tenants was undertaken by a PropTech firm which found that 57% were against being called by their agents or landlords to discuss rental arrears and 62% saying that they would prefer being sent texts instead.

However 69% of the respondents said they would be happy for “a flexible payment option to help reduce rental arrears and manage future payments.”

The firm states it is now up to agents and landlords to change their approach when contacting their tenants to reflect the survey’s findings.

A spokesman said: “Up and down the country, people are finding new ways to manage financial situations. A big part of that is how they are handling overdue and approaching payments. It is crucial that both private and social landlords tune in to the current market and offer tenants innovative solutions such as flexible payment plans and simple transaction processes. Landlords must also adopt a sympathetic approach to communicating.”

The company released a statement stating that agents should change communication methods to fall in line with the tenants’ preferences and would only need to make “small adjustments” to their work practises.

It adds: “With concerns surrounding overdue rent particularly high, it seems that many renters would welcome a gentle nudge, in the form of a text message or email, to remind them of arrears or approaching payments.”

It continues: “The majority of respondents (69 per cent) would welcome a flexible payment option to help reduce rental arrears and manage their future payments … Being able to speak to someone from the tenants’ housing association or letting agencies, who is understanding of the individual’s financial situation, was also important to renters, with 78 per cent saying this would help them manage their finances.”