"Nobody does it better," say female landlords

The National Landlords Association (NLA), the leading representative body for private residential landlords, is continuing its nationwide search for Property Woman of the Year 2009.

According to a survey of 500 property women, 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. During the recession, this is now more important. 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.

Launched in April, this year's NLA Property Women Awards is hotting up with nominations coming in from every part of the UK. Alongside the top prize is the NLA Green Property Woman Award, for those landlords who have made their lettings business and properties as green as possible, and the NLA Young Property Woman Award, for those aged under 30 who already successfully manage a property portfolio. There are also 12 regional categories offering landlords the chance to win thousands of pounds in Habitat vouchers and makeovers at Selfridges. To nominate yourself or someone else, go to propertywomenawards.org.uk.

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.

Interestingly those who replied to the survey also indicated that women landlords would be less likely to delegate tasks to other people (trades people or tenants) than male landlords.

Melissa Porter, property addict and ambassador for this year's Awards, said: "It comes as no great surprise to me that lady landlords feel they offer something of the 'woman's touch' to their rentals business. It's not a tired stereotype that women tend to be more understanding but that doesn't mean we're a walkover!

"The Property Women Awards are designed so that first-class female landlords can get some recognition. So, if you're a tenant with a brilliant lady landlord or you think you fit the bill yourself, why not get nominating? In a year of little good news, the Awards is an opportunity to show that the property market is not all doom and gloom."

David Salusbury, Chairman, National Landlords Association, said: "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, ARLA (Association of Residential Letting Agents),said: "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 in ARLA recently introducing its licensing campaign for letting agents, in that the consumer must always be the centre of attention and standards of professionalism across the sector must be maintained to the highest standards."