Posts with tag: london rentals

London Rentals on the Rise by £500 a Year

Published On: September 13, 2014 at 5:07 pm

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Tenants within London who rented in August, compared to July 2014, will have paid around £500 more per year.1

The average rent in Greater London has risen by £41 (1.84%) a month in August, now standing at £2,417 per month.1

London Rentals on the Rise by £500 a Year

London Rentals on the Rise by £500 a Year

Greater London is still the most expensive place to rent in the UK, which does not look set to change in the future.

In June this year, average rents around the country surpassed £1,000 per month, and they have continued to grow. The average rent in Britain rose to £1,034 a month in August, an increase of £64 a month compared to last year. It is also a £5 rise per month in the last four weeks.1

Every region within the North of England has seen a drop in average rent during August, as the North East, Yorkshire and Humberside, and the North West have reported the highest monthly declines of 1.28%, 1.14%, and 1.13% correspondingly.

Despite this, rents in Scotland have continued to grow significantly. Average rents have stretched to £739 per month in August, a £61 rise (9.12%) on last year.1

The South East also saw average rents increasing, to £1,251 a month, a rise of 8.26% on the previous year. However, rents in East Anglia, and the South West have seen a small decrease of 0.18% and 0.38% per month respectively. Nevertheless, both regions have reported annual increases in average rents, by 6.17% and 4.79% compared to August 2013.1

Compare the difference between regions1:

Region Advertised Rent Monthly Change Annual Change
East Anglia £946 -0.18% 6.17%
East Midlands £643 1.5% 4.4%
Greater London £2,417 1.84% 10.21%
North East £665 -1.28% 2%
North West £618 -1.13% -1.77%
Scotland £739 0.38% 9.12%
South East £1,251 0.5% 8.26%
South West £820 -0.38% 4.79%
Wales £659 -0.92% 4.23%
West Midlands £695 -0.31% 5.62%
Yorkshire & Humberside £603 -1.14% 1.68%
Great Britain £1,034 0.51% 6.76%

Director of Move with Us, Robin King, says: “Average advertised rents in Greater London have continued to climb this month, increasing by £41 per month, and while this is good news for landlords, it is once again bad news for people looking to rent in the capital. A shortage of rental properties coupled with the ever-growing population in London means competition is fierce and the upward trend is showing no signs of changing.

“While Britain has seen a steady rise of its overall average advertised rental prices, the country continues to be divided with rent increases in the south balancing the declines in the north, with regions such as Wales, Yorkshire and Humberside, and the North East experiencing a fall in their monthly advertised rents.

“Surprisingly, East Anglia has seen a slight fall in advertised rents this month, bucking the upward trend it had been experiencing. However, the reduction is minor and as a key commuter route to the capital, it is unlikely that this area will see a prolonged fall in average advertised rents.”1

1 http://www.broadgatemainland.com/client-news/london-rents-increase-500-year-2

 

 

London tenants trapped in rabbit hutches

Published On: September 2, 2014 at 11:04 am

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Categories: Landlord News

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With the economy showing small signs of recovery, rent and house prices are starting to rise. This growth in the market may not necessarily be a good thing for some tenants in London.

A recent report from The Guardian suggests that some landlords in the capital are taking advantage of the economic upturn by providing small properties for a growing number of tenants. The findings indicate that some former family homes are being cut down into tiny studio flats and in some cases, even smaller rooms.

Rabbit Hutch

Labour’s housing spokesman on the London Assembly, Tom Copley, had a frank response to the report statistics. Mr Copley said that the findings suggested a growing number of tenants were paying, ‘extortionate rents[1]’ for substandard, ‘rabbit hutch’ properties.

Copley also indicated that the lack of adequate housing could have a deeper effect on peoples’ overall wellbeing. Home, he said, has an, ‘enormous’ impact quality of life, stating that tenants should expect at least a, ‘decent place to live for reasonable rent.’

 London tenants trapped in rabbit hutches

London tenants trapped in rabbit hutches

A growing problem

Taking a browse at rental property websites offering rooms in the London area highlights the growing problem. Showers in the kitchen, cookers on top of chest of drawers and properties where sitting up in bed is a pipe-dream are common. Roger Harding, director at Shelter, said that the, ‘tough competition’ in the capital lead tenants to be squashed into, ‘costly, cramped and claustrophobic’ homes.[1]

Certain London councils have already agreed to alter rules to combat rogue landlords exploiting their tenants.

For more information on the legal house sizing specifications, see The Housing Act of 1985.

[1] http://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/news_features/London-renters-trapped-in-%E2%80%9Crabbit-hutch-properties%E2%80%9D

 

 

 

London 209% More Expensive than Rest of UK

Published On: November 20, 2013 at 4:40 pm

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For renters, London is over 209% more expensive than the rest of the country, reveals research by Move with Us.1

After the stability seen in September, London saw average advertised rents increase by more than £32 in October.

London 209% More Expensive than Rest of UK

London 209% More Expensive than Rest of UK

During the first half of the year, the South East and East Anglia also witnessed consistent rises in average rents. So much so, that these areas became beneficial and profitable alternatives for investors, rather than the London housing sector.

Average rents in these regions remain solid, at £1,145 and £889 correspondingly. However, the market seems to have steadied during the last half of the year, with slight declines of 0.13% and 0.6% respectively.1

Throughout October, rents rose around the country generally, strengthened by unexpected growth in regions that have recently seen stability or steady drops.

The result of this strength has been a 0.75% increase in the average advertised rent around the UK, as average rents were £975 at the end of October.1

In other parts, rent in the East Midlands, North East, and Wales saw rises at the end of the month, with average advertised rents growing by 4.31%, 4.19%, and 3.94% respectively.

Director of Move with Us, Robin King, says: “The surprise for October has been the sudden growth of approximately £25 in the average rents in the East Midlands, North East, and Wales.

“All three of these regions performed unimpressively over recent months and these unexpected peaks mean that the markets are expected to finish the year much closer to the advertised rents of October 2012, and in the case of the East Midlands, outperforming this level.

“The strong performance of these regions throughout October was contrary to the performance of other regions, but has been significant enough to push the average for the country up, while many of the strong performing and established regions have actually witnessed a decline.”1

1 http://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/news_features/Cost-of-renting-in-London-over-200-more-expensive