Hamburg (26 August 2015) - Families with children wish their landlords would be more responsive to their needs. One in three German tenants think that overall their landlords do not care enough about the needs of parents and their children. Around 40 percent complain about the play areas offered in courtyard or garden areas. They also say there is a lack of space for prams and bicycles. These are the findings of a population-representative study by TAG Immobilien AG together with the Technical University of Darmstadt, which involved interviews with 1,000 tenants in Germany.

"Landlords face the challenge of adapting their housing supply to the needs of various groups of tenants - be it for families, seniors or singles," says property expert Prof. Dirk Schiereck of the TU Darmstadt. "The study shows that families feel their needs have not been sufficiently addressed to date."

This applies less to the apartments themselves - 69 percent of respondents say there is enough living space for families with children available. The dissatisfaction relates more to the surroundings and larger premises. From the tenants' perspective there are not enough play and parking spaces, let alone leisure/recreational and care services available.

"Such offers are of course associated with costs for property companies like TAG. But especially in regions outside the popular big cities, they are of great importance and do pay off for owners," says Claudia Hoyer, the TAG Management Board member responsible for property management. "Especially in a difficult residential environment, owners can reduce social tensions and promote cooperation with a broad offer. This leads to higher tenant loyalty and lower vacancy."

For example, in Salzgitter at the beginning of the year the MDAX-listed company TAG initiated the Jumpers social children's and youth project with the "Jumpers - Jugend mit Perspektive e.V." association. The aim is to give children and teens in a difficult social environment without leisure facilities future prospects, and to help them learn integration instead of exclusion in a fun way, through such things as after-school sports and courses.

"Such projects need not always be associated with high costs. They are more about caring and creatively searching for solutions in each residential area to support families and show them that they are welcome as tenants," explains Hoyer. Which is why, also in Salzgitter, TAG has introduced a subsidised waste disposal system for families with small children as part of its waste management. Parents with children under the age of three receive a nappy chip that reduces the cost of waste disposal.

In the opinion of real estate expert Prof. Schiereck, housing associations should no longer evade their social responsibilities - in their own interests as well: "If landlords actively look after their tenants, the attractiveness of the residential area also increases."

Contact for the tenant survey:

Thöring & Stuhr

Communications Consultants

Claudia Thöring

Mittelweg 19 - D-20148 Hamburg

phone: +49 40 207 6969 82

mobile: +49 170 2150 146

Claudia.Thoering@corpnewsmedia.de


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

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