LANDLORD Assist has welcomed an increase in the number of tenants said to be satisfied with their rental accommodation.

The 2012-13 English Housing Survey Households Report has revealed that over 80 per cent of tenants are satisfied with the quality of their accommodation, a one per cent increase from the 2011-12 report.

Graham Kinnear, managing director at Landlord Assist, said: “Landlords are an easy target in the media, with stories of rogue behaviour, revenge evictions and poor accommodation. However, this survey shows that more landlords than ever before are providing good quality accommodation for their tenants.

“We had concerns that with a reduction in the amount of available rental stock in the marketplace that standards may have slipped in the industry, given the ease with which they can currently let. Thankfully, this appears not to be the case, with increasing numbers of landlords pleasing their tenants.”

Landlord Assist believes that legislative changes have also helped to increase tenant satisfaction in recent years.

Stephen Parry, commercial director at Landlord Assist, said: “Building regulations are stricter nowadays so new or refurbished properties are better insulated, more economic to run and generally better than the property stock of 20 years ago.”

The survey also showed that in 2012-13 the 4 million households in England's private rented sector paid an average of £163 a week for their homes, an increase of £10 since 2008-9.

Mr Parry added: “The average rent is now around £160 per week, which is only a seven per cent increase on five years ago, meaning that, allowing for inflation, rents have fallen in real terms.

"This busts the myth of tenants being victims of greedy landlords and high prices, forcing tenants to be stuck in a rent trap. While many people may have no choice but to rent their home, the reality is that it is more likely to be banks’ lending restrictions and the higher cost of food and energy bills that are to blame and not the high prices charged by landlords.”