Press release

Study: Tenants feel landlords have responsibilities in disputes between neighbours

Hamburg (20 May 2014) - German tenants have a horror of rowdy neighbours. Instead of commotion in the stairwell they yearn for a stable social community. For instance, 87 percent of people say it is important for landlords to carry out thorough checks when they rent to new tenants in an apartment building. Only 13 percent feel this is secondary or unimportant. These are the findings of a representative study by TAG Immobilien AG in conjunction with the Technical University of Darmstadt. 1,000 tenants in Germany were surveyed.

Tenants also believe landlords have responsibilities in disputes between existing neighbours. Nearly two thirds of respondents want their landlords to play an active role in reducing social tensions in the neighbourhood. What is striking is that more men (67 percent) than women (61 percent) rely on the landlord's skills in such cases.

"The study results are consistent with our experience as a real estate company," says Claudia Hoyer, the TAG Management Board member responsible for property management. "Tenants increasingly see landlords as having a responsibility when it comes to their immediate living environment. This doesn't just concern arbitration of disputes - 40 percent of respondents want landlords to play an active role and promote a stronger sense of community among tenants."

Meanwhile, most tenants are happy overall with their neighbours, with only seven percent saying they have poor or unsatisfactory contact with each other. Less than a quarter experience frequent disputes in their living community. And just twelve percent of respondents say they don't get along with their neighbours at all. If there is trouble it tends to be about cleanliness: 42 percent of tenants say their neighbours make almost no effort to keep the building and grounds tidy.

"As landlords there are different ways we can prevent conflicts between tenants and promote a sense of community, for example by organising neighbourhood parties or communal spaces for tenants to meet each other," says TAG Management Board member Hoyer. In TAG's experience, having tenants and landlords meet to maintain the landscaping and grounds also tends to create a sense of community. "The important thing in all this is to take the tenants' desire for harmony seriously and respond to it. This is also part of a good landlord's service." According to the study, German tenants give their landlord an average score of 2.6 [B-/C+]." So there is room for improvement," says Hoyer.

About TAG Immobilien AG

TAG Immobilien AG an MDAX-listed company with a more than 125-year history. Its primary locations are in the Greater Hamburg and Berlin areas, the Salzgitter region, as well as Thuringia / Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. TAG currently manages about 74,000 dwellings and the associated commercial areas, garages and parking spaces. The company's goal is to improve the quality of housing for its tenants. In line with this, TAG adapts its holdings to modern living needs to, gets involved in the communities of its residential quarters, and promotes a good neighbourhood spirit. The Group continually reduces vacancy and increasing the value of its total portfolio through prudent management of its properties and a future-oriented/forward-looking development of its overall portfolio.

Press enquiries:
TAG Immobilien AG
Head of Investor & Public Relations
Dominique Mann
Phone +49 (0) 40 380 32 300
Fax +49 (0) 40 380 32 390
prtag-agcom