Private tenants urged to take part in Exeter survey

People who rent private properties in Exeter are being encouraged to take part in a survey. Everyone who takes part will be entered into a draw to win a £50 High Street voucher.

In Exeter, 22% of people live in private rented homes, which is above the national average.

A number of local agencies receive high numbers of complaints about local letting agents and this has led to a survey being compiled to gain an insight into the true extent of the problem.

The survey has been put together by the City Council in partnership with Citizens Advice Exeter and Exeter University Students Guild.

The City Council has recently published a Private Tenant Handbook on the website that is aimed at helping those who rent understand their rights and responsibilities.

It covers many aspects of renting from finding a home to health and safety issues and ending a tenancy.

“The idea of the handbook is to enable tenants to live in good quality and well managed accommodation, said Cllr Emma Morse, Lead Councillor for People. “It can be used as a reference to help avoid problems when renting and where to find help if things go wrong.”

To access the handbook go to www.exeter.gov.uk/PrivateTenantHandbook

To take part in the survey, go to www.exeter.gov.uk/PrivateTenantSurvey or pop into the Civic Centre or CAB Exeter for a printed version. The survey will close on 8 December.