The government has released its latest (2021) english landlord survey. Whilst unlikely to reach the top of the literary best seller lists the survey does provide a revealing snapshot of landlords operating in the private rented sector in the country.

Alongside the figure showing that an extraordinary 71% of landlords have never been a member of even their local/regional landlord association, never mind a national body such as the NRLA, the survey shows that the largest age cohort of landlords in the sector is the 55-64 group with the 65-74 age group coming in at second largest.

Of those landlords who renewed or extended a tenancy within the last 2 years, 64% kept the rent at the same level as before renewal and only 17% of landlords surveyed stated that their tenant profile included tenants in receipt of benefits or universal credit.

Having said that, when asked the reason they had ended a tenancy in the last 2 years, rent arrears were cited by 46%, lack of care for the property by the tenant came in at 39% and ASB at 32% (the top 3 reasons out of a choice of 7).

The survey needs to be read alongside the associated document "Segmenting landlord compliance" which asked questions about the level of compliance of landlords with requirements that, at the time of the survey, landlords were legally obliged to carry out. Included in this part of the survey were questions (covering a landlord's most recent tenancy) relating to right to rent checks (63% compliant); provision to tenants of the "how to rent" guide (only 52% compliant even though evidencing provision of this guide is a requirement for being able to use (currently) the section 21 eviction procedure); provision of an EPC (84% compliant). Compliance with deposit protection and smoke alarm requirements were high (above 90%) but dropped in relation to carbon monoxide alarms and 87% carried out annual gas safety checks.

There are takeaways from the figures in the survey for all sides in the current PRS debates taking place at the moment but the survey itself provides a useful snapshot given that the said debates are running hot right now.