With the General Election just one week away, a recent poll has illuminated the primary concerns and voting tendencies of landlords. The survey reveals that 62% of landlords have already made up their minds about their vote, leaving 31% still undecided.

Despite this decisiveness, there is a notable lack of enthusiasm among landlords regarding housing policies. When asked which party they believe has the best approach to housing, 30% responded with “none of them,” and 27% were unsure. The Conservative Party was deemed to have the best housing policy by 20% of respondents, followed by Labour at 10%, and the Reform Party at 9%. A notable 7% of landlords expressed intentions to abstain from voting altogether.

Housing policy is a significant factor for landlords, with 84% indicating they would be influenced by policies in the private renting sector. Additionally, 83% said they would be inclined to support a party that reinstated tax relief for landlords.

When asked about the most pressing issues for the government to address, landlords ranked the NHS (70%) and the Cost of Living Crisis (64%) higher than the housing crisis, which came in at 61%.

The top priority actions landlords wish to see from the new government include reinstating tax reliefs for private landlords (73%), eliminating the 3% stamp duty for second homes if they are rental properties (65%), and retaining Section 21 (63%).

In contrast, a separate poll focused on renters’ priorities when selecting a flatmate revealed that partying preferences outweigh political alignment. Only 9% of renters considered similar political views important, ranking it fourteenth on their list of priorities. Instead, 57% valued having a similar attitude towards house parties, and 78% prioritized similar cleanliness standards.

These surveys were conducted by flatshare website SpareRoom, which polled 768 live-out landlords and 3,234 renters. A spokesperson for SpareRoom commented, “Based on the data, it seems that only around 30% of landlords are confident in their vote next week. While many have decided on a party, there’s a clear discrepancy between knowing who they’ll vote for and believing in that party’s housing policies. The General Election is a crucial opportunity for both landlords and renters to voice their concerns and advocate for change.”