Survey of the Agricultural Tenant Farmers

4 RELATIONS BETWEEN TENANTS AND LANDLORDS

Summary

1. Most tenant farmers were very or fairly satisfied with the relationship they have with their current landlord. However, 15% are either very or fairly dissatisfied with their landlord.

2. In general, respondents had a positive opinion towards specific aspects of this relationship.

3. There is a relationship between length of tenure and views on their relationship with their landlord. The longer that a main tenancy had been held, the more likely it was that a tenant held negative views on certain aspects of their relationship with their landlord.

4.1 A key aim of the research was to examine tenants' views of the relationship with their landlords, including levels of overall satisfaction with their landlord. Respondents were instructed to answer these questions in relation to the landlord from whom they rent the largest hectarage of land if they had more than one landlord.^[9]

Figure 4.1: Level of satisfaction with current landlord
Q. How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your current landlord?

Base: All respondents who gave an answer (2,921)
Source: Ipsos MORI

4.2 Overall, two-thirds of respondents said that they were very (35%) or fairly (30%) satisfied with their landlord compared to 17% who were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied and 15% who said they were dissatisfied (Figure 4.1).

4.3 Satisfaction with landlords was higher among respondents who had, or whose family had, farmed on their main tenancy for a shorter time. Three quarters (74%) of those whose family had farmed on their main tenancy for less than ten years, and a similar proportion (75%) of those whose family had farmed their tenancy for 10-24 years, reported that they were satisfied with their current landlord. This dropped to 59% among those whose family has farmed their tenancy for 50-175 years, and 61% among respondents whose family has farmed their tenancy for more than 175 years.

4.4 Two per cent of those whose family had farmed on their tenancy for less than ten years reported that they were very dissatisfied, rising to 11% among those whose family had farmed the tenancy for over 175 years.

4.5 There were no clear trends by age group, although those aged 65 and over (69%) were more likely than those aged 40-49 (60%), those aged 50-64 (62%), and overall (64%) to say that they were satisfied with their current landlord.

4.6 Table 4.1 shows satisfaction with landlords by area, farm type, farm size and number of Secure 1991 tenancies held^[10]:

• Those in the North West were less likely than those in other areas to be dissatisfied with their landlord (10% compared to 15% overall).
• Respondents with Livestock (LFA cattle and sheep) over 80 hectare farms were most likely to be dissatisfied (24% compared to 15% overall).
• There was no clear pattern between size of farm and satisfaction with landlords.
• Those with one Secure 1991 tenancy and those with two or more tenancies were more likely to be dissatisfied with their landlord than those with no such tenancy (18% and 21% compared to 10% respectively).

Table 4.1: Satisfaction with landlord by area, type, farm size and number of Secure tenancies held.

	Satisfaction with landlord (excluding don't know responses)					Base
	Very satisfied	Fairly satisfied	Neither satisfied nor dissatisfied	Fairly dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied
	%	%	%	%	%
Region
North East	33	32	19	9	7	601
North West	45	26	18	3	7	662
South East	34	34	15	8	9	698
South West	30	32	19	9	10	859
Farm type
Arable	35	30	20	7	8	372
Livestock (LFA cattle and sheep) over 80 hectares	29	30	18	10	14	788
Livestock (LFA cattle and sheep) under 80 hectares	40	32	18	4	6	586
Mixed	31	34	17	11	7	347
Non-LFA cattle and sheep	30	30	22	8	10	287
Other	44	30	15	5	6	440
Farm size[11]
Up to 80 hectares	40	29	18	6	7	420
81 to 400 hectares	33	31	20	8	8	890
401 to 2,000 hectares	35	32	18	7	8	578
2,001+ hectares	34	31	17	8	10	800
Number of Secure 1991 tenancies
None	43	33	15	4	6	643
One	33	31	19	8	10	1768
Two or more	31	28	20	10	11	295
Overall	36	31	18	7	9	2,842

4.7 Respondents were asked the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with a number of attitudinal statements concerning their relationship with their landlord (or the landlord from whom the largest hectarage of land is rented), as shown in Figure 4.2.

Figure 4.2: Aspects of tenant-landlord relationship
Q. Thinking about your landlord, to what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Base: All who gave an opinion (2,858; 2,819; 2,797; 2,813; 2,809; 2,759; 2,784)
Source: Ipsos MORI

4.8 In general, respondents were positive in relation to various aspects of their relationship with their landlord. Three-quarters (74%) of respondents agreed (with 24% agreeing strongly) with the statement 'I have a good working relationship with my landlord', while 18% disagreed. Sixty-eight per cent agreed with 'I am able to resolve disputes with my landlord', while 16% disagreed; 63% of respondents disagreed that their landlord regularly objects to their notices of improvement, with 13% agreeing.

4.9 However, on other issues opinion was more divided. While 22% and 39% of respondents agreed with the statements, 'My landlord discourages me from diversifying' and 'I have felt pressurised to agree to rent increases', just over half of respondents disagreed (53% and 52% disagreeing respectively). Similarly, while 46% of respondents agreed with the statement 'My landlord encourages my business operations', 33% disagreed. Opinion was also divided over the statement, 'My landlord quickly deals with problems' (44% agreed and 42% disagreed).

4.10 Similar to overall satisfaction, respondents' likelihood to agree that they have a good working relationship with their landlord appears to be related to length of tenancy. Eighty-two per cent of those whose family had farmed their tenancy for 0-9 and 10-24 years agreed that they have a good working relationship with their landlord. The corresponding figure for those whose family has farmed their tenancy for 175 years or more is 63%.

4.11 As shown in Figure 4.3, the majority of respondents who only have seasonal lets agree that they have a good working relationship with their landlord. This subgroup was more likely than tenant farmers overall to agree that they have a good working relationship with their landlord (87% compared with 73% overall. Only eight per cent disagree, and 4% strongly disagree, that they have a good working relationship with their landlord.

Figure 4.3: Seasonal lets and working relationship with landlords
Q. To what extent do you agree or disagree that you have a good working relationship with your landlord?

Base: All respondents who only have a seasonal let (270)
Source: Ipsos MORI

4.12 Those whose family have farmed on their tenancy for 50-175 years (22%) or 175 years or more (20%) were more than twice as likely to disagree that they have a good working relationship with their landlord than those whose family have farmed their tenancy for less than ten years (10%).

Table 4.2: Aspects of tenant-landlord relationship by family length of tenure

		Time family have farmed on tenancy (years)
		0-9	10-24	25-49	50-174	175+
		(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)	(%)
I have a good working relationship with my landlord	Agree	82	82	75	69	63
	Disagree	10	12	18	22	20
I am able to resolve disputes with my landlord	Agree	75	76	71	63	58
	Disagree	10	13	15	20	19
My landlord encourages my business operations	Agree	60	57	50	39	39
	Disagree	21	26	32	40	34
My landlord deals quickly with problems	Agree	57	56	45	37	34
	Disagree	27	34	40	50	44
I have felt pressurised to agree to rent increases	Agree	23	28	39	46	46
	Disagree	63	64	53	45	40
My landlord discourages me from diversifying	Agree	19	21	22	24	26
	Disagree	57	57	58	50	47
My landlord regularly objects to my notices of improvement	Agree	9	11	12	15	13
	Disagree	65	70	65	61	50

4.13 As can be seen in Table 4.2, the general pattern is for those who have farmed on their tenancy for the shortest lengths of time to have the most positive views towards each aspect of the relationship with their landlord.

4.14 While relations between tenants and landlords were found to be generally positive for the majority of tenant farmers, a number of comments pointed to the impact on the tenant farmer when the relationship was less positive.

"Our experience is that the tenant/landlord system has broken down with little dialogue or common ground between either side. The landlord seems to be happy to take the rent but do nothing else.''

4.15 Additionally, a number of tenants noted their dissatisfaction with their relationship with land agents. This was not specifically asked about in the questionnaire but will be covered in future survey work. The following responses are illustrative.

"The recent incursion of professional land agent companies into the factoring of estates has soured relationships between tenants and landlords across the country in recent years."

"The more important point, not covered, is our satisfaction with our factors/land agents. This is the area giving most problems in landlord/tenant relationships."

"We are finding it particularly difficult to negotiate with our landlord's agent, especially when it comes to rent reviews and building maintenance."

"In too many cases land agents are often the cause of poor relationships between tenant [and] landlord."