The relationship between tenant and landlord is the biggest psychological factor in driving people to move, a report by OSB Group has found.
A report, conducted with behavioural science company IB which surveyed 2,246 adults, gauged the biggest predicators of whether people would move.
The top three predictors were non-psychological.
The report found that being younger was the first predictor, with having high levels of formal education ranking second and higher income being the third predictor for moving home.
A renter’s perception of the landlord was the fourth most common, with negative landlord perceptions increasing tenants’ ambitions to move.
This was the most prevalent psychological driver to move and outranked positive views around legal ownership and how much someone may self-identify with a property.
The report commented: “The brain gives an outweighed preference to negative thoughts and sentiments which clouds a relationship - this means that it doesn’t take much to tip a landlord relationship into something that a tenant sees as negative.”
This, the report added, can lead to a tenant wishing to push back against a landlord’s authority and move.
Delving deeper into the psychology of home ownership, the research found that renters and homeowners both report equal ‘home satisfaction’ meaning the property and location itself have no bearing on a desire to buy or move.
Instead, the report concludes that - in the letting scenario - tenants have a distinct need for control.
Therefore, for landlords to attract and retain long-term tenants it is important for them to give tenants a greater sense of ownership such as by giving tenants a say in renovation decisions.
Neil Richardson, chief sustainability officer at OSB Group (pictured above), commented: “Affordability remains a significant challenge for many Brits and as a result more of us are renting for longer.
“For landlords, this is both an opportunity and a challenge, as they seek to find the best tenants in a shifting market.
“To create a thriving private rented sector, it's key that we think and act beyond the headlines to support landlords in providing homes for tenants.”
