Landlords, is it time for a rebrand?

The terms "landlord" and "tenant" have historical meanings that suggest that the landlord is in the predominant position and the rent is obligated to them, with little in the way of return other than “quiet enjoyment” of the property.

The last couple of years have been tough for everyone, Landlords included. Landlords have begun to feel that they have been unfairly portrayed as ‘the economic insurgents of this generation’. This has prompted a movement of Landlords and property investors to state that they would like to be called anything other than a ‘Landlord’.

A recent survey showed nearly two thirds of Landlords would prefer to be called something else. ‘Small housing providers’ or ‘Rental housing providers’ being the new favoured terms.

This new desire for a name change reflects sentiment among landlords, who are being unfairly blamed for widespread problems in the housing market, such as rent increases, gas and electricity bill increases and lack of supply of rental properties.

These attitudes mirror developments in the US, where many buy-to-let business owners have called on the media to stop using the word landlord, as they feel it has become widely associated with negative connotations such as ‘slum’ and ‘rogue’.

Gavin Richardson, MD of Mortgages for Business says “It’s got to the point where the buy-to-let community doesn’t want to be associated with the term ‘landlord’ anymore. The term carries much more baggage than it once did. No wonder the community wants a rebrand.”

Landlords and property investors, we'd love to know what you think. Drop us a DM @TheLandlordPage