Over 80 per cent of private renters in England are satisfied with their accommodation according to new data.

Figures from the English Housing Survey for 2019/20 report that 83 per cent of private renters were satisfied with their current accommodation, a figure that has remained constant over the past 10 years.

In comparison, the proportion of social renters satisfied with their accommodation stands at 78 per cent, having fallen from 81 per cent in 2018/19.

The survey reports also that 75 per cent of private renters are satisfied with the way their landlords carry out repairs and maintenance, the highest figure for around a decade.  

In contrast, 66 per cent of social renters were satisfied with the way their landlords carried out repairs and maintenance, down one percentage point from the previous year. 

The survey also revealed that tenants generally had a more positive experience of renting when dealing directly with a landlord than with a letting agent.

Private renters were asked how satisfied they were with the services provided by the landlord or, if they rented through a letting agency, letting agent from first contact to the day they moved into the property. 

Some 85 per cent were satisfied where services were provided by their landlord, whilst 79 per cent said the same where they were provided by a letting agent.

National Residential Landlords Association chief executive Ben Beadle says: “The NRLA is mindful of the challenges the private rented sector is confronted with and remains firmly committed to tackling them in a spirit of co-operation between tenants, landlords and government.

“However, these figures demonstrate that the vast majority of private renters are satisfied with their accommodation and the service being provided by their landlord. This positive feedback is representative of tenants’ experiences across the private rented sector, and it is through this lens that future changes need to be seen.”