Revealed: What tenants want most from a St Albans rental property
A place to park is the number one priority for St Albans renters. - Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The property features most sought-after by St Albans renters have been revealed – and parking comes out on top.
A garden is the second most searched for feature according to a new Zoopla study, followed by a garage, a balcony and a willingness to accept pets.
The property portal collected data from the keyword search tool on its rental page between July and September last year, and gardens proved to be the most popular feature UK-wide.
Some of the more salubrious features to make renters’ lists were pools (16th), concierge services (17th) and gyms (19th).
The most-viewed rental property currently on the market in St Albans, based on the features found in the data, is a £550pcm room in a Trumpington Drive house share. The letting, which has off street parking and a private garden, has racked up 1,851 views in the last 30 days.
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Second on the list is a £1,450pcm two-bed terraced house on Bernard Street, which also offers the parking/garden double-header, and has so far had 1,744 views.
Tom Parker, Zoopla’s consumer expert, said 2020 was “a year of unprecedented change in all aspects of life”, as our work and social lives became increasingly home-based.
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“The priorities that renters once looked for pre-lockdown may have changed to match the times we’ve been living in, particularly with gardens having become the most desirable feature across the whole of the UK,” he added.
In a study in November, Zoopla found that rental demand was 20 per cent higher than it had been a year earlier.
Tom said: “Whilst there was positive news with the stamp duty holiday, some first-time buyers had to put their homeownership plans on hold and remain in the rental market this year, and the annual influx of students going to university in autumn elevated the demand even more.
“With the growth in the market, it’s key to highlight the requirements renters are searching for. For example, a pet-friendly rental ranked as the fifth most searched feature, but only 7 per cent of landlords currently advertise homes suitable for pets.
"We hope showing what renters want will help the rental market continue to adjust through these changing times.”
