Questions raised over tenant-agent trust gap

New research from Propoly has found that while over half of tenants describe their letting agent as professional, quick to respond to queries, and efficient in handling maintenance issues, issues still exist, particularly a widespread suspicion that agents are not working in the tenants’ favour.

Propoly commissioned a survey of 1,000 UK tenants to understand how they feel about their letting agent and found that over half rate their agent highly: 24% describe their agent as ‘good’ and 28% rate them as ‘excellent’.

A similar trend is seen when it comes to professionalism, with 56% of tenants rating their agent either ‘professional’ (25%) or ‘very professional’ (31%)

Satisfaction also translates into advocacy, with over half of tenants saying they are ‘likely’ (21%) or ‘very likely’ (31%) to recommend their agent to others.

Speed of communication is another strong point. An impressive 62% of tenants say their agent responds to queries within a maximum of two days, while a quarter (24%) report receiving a response on the same day.

Maintenance handling also receives generally positive feedback, with 40% of tenants saying their agent handles requests adequately and a further 36% rating their performance as very good.

However, the research highlights that there is still room for improvement. Some 29% of tenants say they have experienced maintenance issues being poorly managed, while 22% report poor communication and 21% say their queries have been ignored or handled too slowly.

There is also a notable trust gap. Despite otherwise positive experiences, 30% of tenants do not believe that their letting agent is working in their best interests. This suggests that while service levels are often strong, perception and transparency remain areas that require attention.

Encouragingly, serious disputes appear to be relatively rare, with only 7% of tenants saying they have ever needed to escalate an issue regarding their landlord through formal complaints, the ombudsman, or legal proceedings.

Sim Sekhon, Group CEO at Propoly, said: “It is clear from this research that letting agents across the UK are delivering a consistently strong level of service in many key areas, particularly when it comes to professionalism, responsiveness, and the handling of maintenance issues. These are essential pillars of a positive tenant experience and the sector should take confidence in these results.

That said, there is always room for improvement. The findings show that perception matters just as much as performance, and agents must work harder to demonstrate that they are acting fairly and transparently for both landlords and tenants. While protecting a landlord’s asset is of course a priority, building trust with tenants is equally important for long-term success and retention.

At Propoly, we are committed to helping agents boost efficiency, streamline communication, improve transparency, and deliver a more balanced experience for all parties. By leveraging the right technology and processes, agents can not only address the pain points highlighted in this research but also strengthen relationships, enhance their reputation, and ultimately future-proof their business.”