TAG Immobilien AG Tenant survey 2016

A safe neighbourhood is a priority for families

DGAP-Media / 01.06.2016 / 08:30

Press release

Tenant survey 2016: A safe neighbourhood is a priority for families

Hamburg (01 June 2016) - A safe residential environment is the most
important factor for families with children looking for a new home. Almost
two thirds of parents give this top priority. Proximity to kindergartens
and schools is in second place. Meanwhile, the availability of playgrounds
in the courtyard or nearby is less relevant for families when choosing a
home. These are the findings of a population-representative study by TAG
Immobilien AG together with the Technical University of Darmstadt, which
surveyed 2,000 tenants in Germany.

Overall, the vast majority of families with children feel good about their
landlord. 87 percent of respondents said that their landlords were happy to
let homes to people with children. "The survey also shows that landlords
address the living requirements of families, for example, they demonstrate
an understanding for the needs of children," says Claudia Hoyer, the TAG
Immobilien Executive Board member responsible for property management.

"Landlords have realised that they have to adapt their offer to cater for
the needs of different groups of tenants - whether for families, seniors or
singles," says property expert Professor Dirk Schiereck of the TU
Darmstadt. "The study shows that families increasingly feel understood - in
cities as well as smaller towns."

TAG for one has developed the concept of 'Wohnen nach Maß' ('Made-to-
measure living'), that addresses the individual needs of tenants by
allowing families to individually configure their flats at various
locations. In districts where the infrastructure allows for childcare,
educational and leisure activities, the company has also developed special
layout solutions for parents with children. In Chemnitz, for example,
unpopular 60 sqm 3-bedroom flats were doubled up and merged into 120 sqm
flats with as many as six rooms.

"The quality of life in the residential environment determines the
stability of the tenant portfolio," says Hoyer. "We deliberately involve
clubs and associations in our activities for social work with children and
families. We pursue a specific intergenerational approach in this." For
example, in Salzgitter and Eisenach, activities are held that are open to
older and younger generations. Initially, it was mostly seniors who met
here for cooking, crafts and sports, but nowadays children can find a
"substitute grandma" here to read to them or help with homework.