A good tenant "is a valuable thing" and it is in the best interests of landlords to treat them well.

This is according to Tessa Shepperson, a solicitor at LandlordLaw.co.uk, who said that although it is essential for property owners to cover their own costs, they should try to accommodate their tenants if they lose their jobs or struggle to make payments on time.

"It is psychological. If your landlord does you a favour [and] if you are decent person, you are going to feel very grateful about that and you will want to give something back in return. It is only human nature," she explained.

People can be made redundant at any time through no fault of their own and a good landlord will recognise this, Ms Shepperson added.

Research published earlier this month by easyroommate.co.uk revealed that the number of people looking to evict their tenants has fallen by over 11 per cent since the third quarter of 2008.

Written by Nicole Maher