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Sixth successive monthly rise as rents hit new high
Rents rose for the sixth month in a row in July, to a new record high, according to the latest Buyâ€toâ€Let Index from LSL Property Services.
In July, the average rent in England and Wales rose by 0.6% to £705 per month, surpassing the previous high of £701 in June. With annual inflation at 4.2%, the average rent is now £29 pcm higher than July 2010.
The average yield reached 5.2% in July, up from 4.8% a year ago.
London saw by far the greatest annual rent increase in England and Wales. In July, rents hit a new high of £1009 per month – an annual increase of 7.1%. The next biggest rises were in the North East where rents increased by 5.5%, and the East and West Midlands, where rents rose by 4.8%. In the last year, average rents have risen in all regions except Wales, where they now are at the same level as July 2010.
On a monthly basis, rents increased fastest in the South East, where they rose 1.7%. In Wales and the East Midlands, they increased by 1.4% compared to June. Rents
declined in three regions – the West Midlands, where they fell by 0.6%, Yorkshire & the Humber and the North West, where rents fell by 0.2% and 0.1% respectively.
David Newnes, estate agency managing director of LSL Property Services, owners of Your Move and Reeds Rains said: “Rents are on an upward trajectory, and it is unlikely that tenants will gain respite any time soon. Demand from thousands of frustrated buyers each month is underpinning buoyant competition for rental homes, enabling landlords to increase prices. This is the peak summer season, with more renters on the move, the market will continue to heat up. Such strong demand and high rental incomes has forced lenders to take notice, and more are returning to the sector.
“As a result of the competition in the buyâ€toâ€let market, the range of affordable products is expanding – and lending to investors rose by 21% in the last quarter. Nevertheless, even with the squeeze on landlord finance abating, the new supply will not be enough to meet demand from tenants.
“The increasing cost of rental accommodation – alongside the soaring cost of living – is eroding firstâ€time buyers’ ability to save deposits. But firstâ€time renters are also keenly feeling the pinch. As rents climb, so does the size of the average deposit a new renter must find. Thousands of new buyers each year rely on the bank of
Mum and Dad to help fund a deposit. However, now it is becoming increasingly commonplace for renters to get parental help to fund their first deposit on a rental home, with the typical one month deposit on a property in London more than £1000.”
The total annual return on a rental property fell to 1.2% in July as annual declines in rental property prices took their toll. The total annual return is the equivalent of £2060 â€
£7522 in rent, with a capital loss of £5462. If property values continue on their current trend, a property investor could expect to make a total annual return of 2.5% over
the next 12 months – equivalent to £4093 per property.
Newnes said: “Falling property prices are holding back total annual returns and will continue to do so over the shortâ€term. But the vast majority of prospective investors look at longerâ€term fundamentals such as tenant demand and yields – and these are looking increasingly attractive.
“Tenant arrears decreased for a third consecutive month, with 9% of all UK rent unpaid or late by the end of July – down from the 9.3% of rent unpaid or late in June. Unpaid rent totalled £251million across the UK in July, down 2.4% from the £257million unpaid in the previous month.
“Tenant finances have performed remarkably well in recent months and arrears are down as landlords show less forbearance with tenants experiencing payment problems. As a result, landlords’ mortgage arrears have dropped – and are actually lower than arrears in the owner occupied sector for the first time in three years. But with question marks over the economy, and public sector job losses still to come, tenant finances will be placed under increasing stress. Rents won’t drop anytime soon, and we anticipate the number of tenants facing payment difficulties will climb.”
From: http://www.landlordexpert.co.uk/index.php/news-centre/4513.html