In a poll of 1,000 landlords throughout the UK, over three quarters (77%) said they'd prefer to rent to a female tenant, and almost a quarter prefer to rent to tenants from London. And it would seem landlords are not nearly as greedy as their reputation, as almost a third (32%) favour a tenant with a relatively modest income of just £20,000-£30,000 over a more affluent tenant earning over £70,000 a year. It seems a medical professional is just what the doctor ordered, as almost a quarter of landlords (24%) said they'd favour a GP and almost one in ten (9%) would like a nurse or carer to rent from them. Age is an important factor for many landlords, as 67% state they don't want to rent to young people under 25.
Top of the list of least favourite careers for tenants, according to the landlords surveyed, was HGV driver, with nearly one in five (19%) saying they wouldn't want to rent to a trucker. Lorry drivers beat taxi drivers (15%), traffic wardens (15%) and shop workers (10%) to the dubious honour of least favoured tenant.
And the least favourite celebrity tenant? Amy Winehouse, according to the poll. A third (34%) of landlords said they'd be reluctant to rent to the beehived party girl, and a fifth (20%) would avoid letting their property to ex jungle-queen Kerry Katona. More than a quarter (26%) said they'd prefer to rent to X-factor's soulful songstress Leona Lewis (26%), newly elected US president Borack Obama (13%), or smouldering 007 star Daniel Craig (12%).
The survey was carried out to mark the launch of Halifax Landlord Insurance, which provides home insurance specifically tailored to meet the needs of small-scale private buy-to-let landlords.
Senior Claims Manager for Halifax Landlord Insurance, Martyn Foulds said: "The research shows how particular landlords are about the types of people they rent to, and highlights how much they care about their property. We'd recommend landlords check the credentials of tenants prior to letting to them by asking for references, and it's also important to ensure they have the right type of buildings and contents insurance in place to protect their buy-to-let property."
Halifax also reminds tenants that their belongings are not covered under their landlord's policy, therefore they need to make sure they have their own contents insurance in place to protect against loss, theft or damage.
Halifax Landlord Insurance is available to purchase online at www.halifax.co.uk/insurance, or over the phone by calling 0800 3283919. It will be launched throughout Halifax branches from May 2009.
