Half of tenants would not take property with poor mobile coverage

The importance of mobile phone coverage to tenants has been underlined in a new survey of over 2,000 people.

Over half (54%) said they would not buy a home if there was poor mobile reception. The proportion rose to 64% in London.

The survey, of adults aged 16 and over, also found that 46% of tenants would not rent a property with poor mobile phone coverage.

The study was carried out by network testing company Rootmetrics. CEO Bill Moore said: “While there are obviously more important considerations when it comes to weighing the pros and cons of a house move, there’s no doubt that mobile phone coverage is becoming a factor in the decision-making process.”

The findings come at a time when mobiles are replacing fixed lines in the home.

Research from Ofcom in July shows that calls from landlines have fallen more than 10% since 2011 and that 15% of homes in the UK are mobile-only.

More recently a study by research company fast.MAP revealed that 37% of UK consumers would be willing to give up their landlines.