Ok... there seems to be some miss understanding here, of course there is a minimal standard of living and there should be a minimal standard to the rented properties and the service that the landlords are providing.
But say you are to go on holiday, each holiday has a type, self catering, B&B, full inclusive etc, then each holiday package is award a star... with the photos (which always looks better than in RL) you have a clear idea of what you are getting.
Likewise with renting a property, you seen the photos, heck you oftern visit the place and the location. you get copies of all the legal docs so you know what sort of service you are getting.
If you are renting a place where the landlord turns up two hours late and does not have a reasonable excuss, then I would not be renting the place no matter how cheap it is..
if you are viewing a place that is a ****hole, then again; I won't be renting the place no matter how cheap it is..
cost should be one of the lesser factor in deciding if you are renting a place or not; you know you budget before even booking an appointment.
if you budget only allows for ****holes places, then it may be an issue with your budget.
if you visit serveal places that all look good, then it's a choice between which the estate agents or landlord seems to be the better one.
if you visit a place where it's seems ok, but there's a better place for the same price then try haggling the price down.
I went out with an estate agents, and most people just seem to want to hackle the price down before looking at the service that they are offering... which is part of the price.
It seems most people take longer to decide on a holiday than they spend looking into where to rent or who to rent from.