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The National Landlords Association has found that it might be the girls that do best during the downturn as it asked the industry whether women make the best landlords.

According to a survey of 500 property women, the NLA found that female landlords have a different approach to their lettings business when compared to their male counterparts. The respondents felt that female landlords were more likely to be sympathetic to the changing needs of their tenants, which is obviously more important than ever. They also felt that female landlords were likely to pay more attention to detail, spending more time and money on aesthetics and the 'little touches' which make a home more comfortable.

The respondents to the survey also felt that female landlords see their lettings as a 'people business', viewing their tenants as customers. Better communication and a more supportive approach to dealing with their tenants were both held up as differences when compared to male landlords.

David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA says: "From the research it is difficult to know definitively whether men and women run their lettings businesses differently. However, the respondents to the NLA survey certainly seem to feel that female landlords are more approachable, better organised and especially sympathetic.

"Whatever a landlord's gender, the greatest skills for all property managers have to be flexibility and calmness in a crisis. After all, when you own and manage property anything can happen."

Lucy Morton, president of the Association of Residential Letting Agents says: "I have been working in the lettings industry for 26 years and it has definitely been female dominated during that time. One of the reasons for that, I feel, is that attention to detail and aftercare for the client has always been at the forefront of the female mindset. And certainly that is a key element – consumer must always be the centre of attention and standards of professionalism across the sector must be maintained to the highest standards."

SOURCE: NLA, 26/05/09

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