New website will rate agents and landlords

A new website encourages renters to rate letting agents and landlords, and hopes to do for the private rented sector what TripAdvisor has done for travellers.

Rentalraters.com was set up in 2013 to make the process of renting a home fairer for tenants. The nine million people who rent their home in the UK don’t have much help when it comes to choosing a place to live. Landlords can demand large cash deposits, references and a credit check from their tenants. Whereas prospective renters choose their next home based on nothing more than a quick look around the property and a gut instinct. Rentalraters believe that needs to change.

Their growing user community knows that one of the most useful pieces of information a prospective tenant can have before moving into a rental property is an honest review of that property from a previous tenant. This is where rentalraters come in by giving renters the chance to write honest, unbiased reviews of their rental property and landlord.

Hannah Williams, a businesswoman and tenant who set up the site, says neither she nor anyone else involved in the service has any previous experience in the property industry except as clients of agents and landlords. “We’re not property insiders,” she says. “We’re not taking on Zoopla or Rightmove and this isn’t a service where you would enter an area to find a property to rent. Renters will instead know a specific property and postcode and enter that.”

We think this is a great idea as it helps to expose those unscrupulous landlords who damage the image of our entire profession. We’re more than happy for our tenants to submit reviews of our properties and the services we provide.