"The results of this survey point to a clear disconnect between the priorities and frustrations currently felt by agents and landlords"
- Tom Goodman - Goodlord Group
A major survey of 2,650 letting agents, landlords and tenants has exposed significant divisions across the private rented sector, with each group holding sharply different views on value, communication and service delivery, just weeks before the Renters' Rights Act (RRA) takes effect on 1 May.
The research was carried out by rental market specialists Goodlord as part of a wider study into industry sentiment ahead of the legislation.
Published in a report titled "Is Renting Broken?", the findings point to a sector under strain at a moment when strong working relationships between agents and landlords are, by most accounts, more important than ever.
Agents buried in admin
For letting agents, the biggest operational drag is administration. One in five, 20%, identified excessive admin time as their single greatest bottleneck, with managing property maintenance the most commonly cited culprit.
The knock-on effects extend beyond workload: 76% of agents say time spent on admin is limiting their ability to grow. That figure outstrips both preparations for the RRA, cited by 72%, and difficulty securing new landlord business, at 65%, as the primary barrier to growth.
Landlords questioning value
Despite agents working under considerable pressure, the research suggests they are struggling to make that effort visible to clients. While 68% of landlords use full property management services, 59% cite high fees and poor value as major frustrations. Only 6% describe themselves as very satisfied with the value for money they receive.
Communication sits at the heart of the tension. A majority, 67%, say they are satisfied with agents' communication overall, yet 48% also list lack of communication as one of their top frustrations.
"As the PRS becomes increasingly complex and heavily regulated, letting agents' ability to help landlords navigate the market has never been more valuable," said Tom Goodman, managing director at the Goodlord Group (pictured).
"However, the results of this survey point to a clear disconnect between the priorities and frustrations currently felt by agents and landlords. The issue isn't that agents aren't working hard enough, or even that they're not delivering. It's that the value of that delivery isn't always visible."
Tenants still waiting on repairs
The same communication breakdown is playing out in tenant experiences. Despite maintenance being agents' most time-intensive admin task, the effort is not translating into satisfying outcomes.
The most common complaints from tenants were damp and mould (25%), general maintenance issues (22%), and plumbing problems (21%). More than half, 53%, said prompt repairs would make the single biggest difference to their renting experience, and 37% cited communication as a major source of frustration.
"Tenants' complaints are directly related to the admin burden hampering agents' operational capacity," Goodman added.
"Whether it's obtaining quotes, chasing contractors for compliance documents, or processing invoices, routine property maintenance generates reams of admin for overstretched teams. It's no surprise these tasks are draining agents' time. What's clear is that, regardless of the immense effort agents are putting into dealing with these problems, tenants aren't feeling the benefit. This needs to change."
With the RRA set to reshape the private rented sector significantly, Goodman warned that the misalignment between stakeholders could cause lasting damage if left unaddressed.
"As the RRA transforms our sector, agents must do all they can to bake compliance into every level of their operations, and to ensure that any changes are communicated as clearly as possible to landlords and tenants. Doing so won't be easy, but it will be critical to navigating this once-in-a-generation transition."
