A new survey shows that Nick Knowles and Kirsty Allsop are seen as the ideal celebrity landlords.

Just over 12 per cent of women surveyed voted for property and design guru Kirsty Allsop citing her friendliness and good business sense as her top equal traits, while one in 10 male respondents preferred TV presenter Nick Knowles for his DIY skills. David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson were voted least favourite celebrity landlords. Business-guru Lord Alan Sugar ranked third after Nick and Kirsty as a dream celebrity landlord.

The survey of over 1,500 tenants was carried out by the National Landlords Assoc-iation (NLA).

The survey also found that tenants rate flexibility (26.7 per cent) and friendliness (24.1 per cent) as the top personality traits and skills a landlord should have. The research, to mark the launch of the NLA Property Women Awards 2012, found that 80 per cent of tenants were satisfied with their current landlord.

NLA director, business mentor and NLA Property Women Awards judge, Carolyn Uphill, said: “Although landlords traditionally tend to get a bit of a bad press, in reality it seems that the majority of tenants are happy.

“Being a landlord is a challenge, but with a satisfaction rating of nearly 80 per cent from tenants, it’s useful to have a strong benchmark which shows that most landlords are providing the good levels of service that tenants expect.”

Eddie Hooker, CEO of My Deposits and Hamilton Fraser Insurance, which is sponsoring the awards, said: “Tenants expect a high standard in properties they rent, and these findings show that the majority recognise that it is important for landlords to have a good business sense in order to manage their properties efficiently, as well as having a flexible and approachable nature.

“My Deposits are proud to support the NLA Property Women Awards as they celebrate those who go above and beyond the call of duty to provide their tenants with a great place to live.”

The NLA Property Women Awards 2012 is currently open for entries. The awards recognise women who are making their mark on the private-rented sector. Eleven UK regional awards from across the UK are given, along with six principal awards which celebrate inspirational women from other areas of the private-rented sector, including the NLA Green Property Woman, NLA Young Property Woman Award, NLA Letting Agent Property Woman Award, NLA Local Authority Property Woman Award, and new for 2012, the NLA Third Sector Property Woman Award, for those operating within the third sector, such as charities or housing associations, who provide exceptional support to the private-rented sector.

The NLA Property Woman of the Year 2012 – the overall winner – will be selected from the regional and principal categories.

Entries close on June 25. The awards take place on October 31. Nomination forms can be found online at propertywomenawards.org.

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Top five dream celebrity landlords 1. Nick Knowles 2. Kirsty Allsop 3. Sir Alan Sugar 4. Alan Titchmarsh 5. Dame Judi Dench