The easy way to become a successful landlord is to boost the appeal of a buy to let home by giving tenants what they want from a property.
The problem is uncovering what they like and dislike about a home.
To help, consumer watchdog Which? took the survey results and compared them to 1,546 homes to rent to find out how many homes matched the tenant checklist.
New research that has asked a thousand tenants about their home choices reveals what landlords need to do offer to make a home attractive.
Top of the list by a long way are unfurnished properties. Six out of 10 tenants want unfurnished homes – but only 14% match the bill.
The next three most popular features are being close to schools, parking space and a garden, all scoring around 22%. Lots of properties fail this test as only 15% are near schools, 11% come with parking but 44% have a garden or other outdoor space.
Some tenants also want access to a gym or swimming pool (18%) – and surprisingly 15% came with this feature.
Properties scored highly on tenant desires for an attractive home close to work or a university.
Although 17% wanted a nice looking home, 40% fitted the bill, while another 17% wanted a short commute, 58% matched the requirement.
A cleaning service was wanted by 16%, but only 3% of homes came with this option.
Another 16% liked the idea of an en suite bathroom, while 20% of homes offered the facility.
“Maximising your appeal to tenants starts with buying the right property,” said a Which? spokesman.
Which? suggests research the property market to find the right home, decide if a new or older home is best by weighing yields, stick to a budget to maintain profit margins and make unemotional business decisions.
