80% of tenants don't want longer fixed tenancies
There is a political push from some quarters to give more certainty to tenants in the private rented sector by having compulsory 2- 3 year terms with capped indexed rent increases.
The Deposit Protection Service has polled 40,000 tenants who overwhelmingly appear to say that they want flexibility as much as landlords do. Most seem happy to stay in properties on a rolling basis but don't want to be tied in for more than a year.
Because of difficulties in the housing market private rental is becoming the fastest growing tenure in the UK. Although more and more people are having to rent for longer and longer before buying a house, the evidence seems to be that this hasn't translated into demands for 'security of tenure'.
Eight out of ten of those renting accommodation want tenancy agreements of one year or less, a large Deposit Protection Service (The DPS) survey has suggested. 39,855 tenants whose deposits are protected by The DPS’ responded to the survey, with 80.1% saying that they preferred agreements that lasted no longer than 12 months. ”