Some 39% of tenants don’t feel able to reach out to their letting agents with property-related issues.
The research, from Zero Deposit, points to a lack of trust among many renters.
Meanwhile nearly a third (30%) of tenants say they don’t have a good relationship with their agents, while 41% say they wouldn’t use their letting agent again to find another rental property.
Letting agents are least trusted in Leicester, where just 59% of agents are recommended. This is followed by Sheffield (60%) and Newcastle (63%).
They are most recommended in Edinburgh (79%), followed by Bradford (76%) and London (74%).
Sam Reynolds, chief of Zero Deposit is seeing the positives, despite such a sizable minority of tenants not seeing eye-to-eye with their agents.
He said: “There is a tendency for society to pit letting agents and tenants against each other, but it’s clear that the vast majority of renters enjoy a good relationship with their letting agent and feel comfortable reaching out to them when needed.
“Letting agents play a vital role in the rental sector, bridging the gap between landlord and tenant while helping to manage and maintain the tenancy.
“So while many tenants won’t have a full view of the hard work that’s required in this respect, it’s great to see that they do appreciate the service and support that letting agents provide them when tackling the rental market.”