A survey by the activist group Generation Rent is asking a series of detailed questions of private tenants in the constituency of a veteran Labour MP.
The online survey - which also asks whether respondents want to har more from the pressure group itself - appears to attempt to find out about the conditions of the private rental properties, and whether landlords and letting agents have fulfilled the letter of the law in terms of their obligations.
For example, it asks whether tenants have received specific documents include the official How To Rent guide, gas safety certificates, the EICR electrical condition report, deposit protection information, EPC levels and so on.
It also checks what documents were used as evidence of ID and references, and covers routine maintenance issues - including asking whether the landlord or letting agent has entered the rental property without the tenant’s consent.
However, the findings of such a survey can be thrown into doubt by its own limitations - for example, a question about cost of living increases asks respondents to quantify some rising prices, such as energy.
But the only response allowed is a figure, not a period of time - so there is no way of knowing whether an energy cost increase of, say, “£100” refers to per week, per month or per year.
Social media promotion for the seven minute survey emphasises this is for tenants within the Ealing Southall constituency of Virendra Sharma MP.
Sharma, 75, was a councillor in Ealing for 28 years, including three years after he become MP for the Southall part of the borough in 2007.
You can see the Generation Rent survey here.
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No focus on tenants' obligations to keep to the letter of the law?
Just because a tenant doesn't remember being given an EICR doesn't mean it didn't happen!
It's wise to get them to sign a receipt for these documents.
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