New poll of both agents and landlords reveals a majority of the three million people involved in the sector have yet to pick a side. 

Letting agents and landlords are a clear target for the UK’s political parties, new research reveals as Rishi Sunak announces a 4th July General Election.

The poll organised jointly by the NRLA and Goodlord before the Prime Minister’s announcements, reveals that just 39% of letting agents have made up their mind who to vote for, while 19% say they are ‘open to changing their minds’ and 26% are ‘undecided’.

And the number of people involved is considerable – some three million people in the UK are involved in letting or managing property either as agents, property managers or landlords.

Landlords were also polled and their voting intentions are more fluid. Although 45% have made up their mind, 27% said they were open to switching allegiance and 19% were undecided.

A quarter of letting agents said they would vote based on industry issues, including voting for a party that promised to reinstate mortgage interest tax relief for landlords or roll back the Tory’s plans to abolish Section 21 evictions.

ECONOMIC FACTORS

But while these more technical policy areas worry both groups, it is the wider economy that concerned letting agents most, with 51% saying the cost-of-living crisis was their top priority, with 43% looking for a party that offered economic competence.

Sunak is reported to have chosen July 4th after this week’s latest economic data showed slowing inflation.

William Reeve

“With an election just around the corner, it’s interesting to see how many property professionals are still ‘up for grabs’ politically,” says William Reeve, CEO at Goodlord.

“And while neither landlords nor estate agents have the most favourable media image, there are approximately three million of them in the UK.

“It’s a constituency no politician should ignore. This report shows that, in addition to the critical issues of the day around the economy, cost of living and NHS, property professionals are paying keen attention to the party positions on the Private Rental Sector.”

The July 4th announcement will be bad news for Government’s flagship Renters (Reform) Bill, which is now very unlikely to become law before parliament closes down ahead of the election campaign.

Via @TheNegotiator