Four in 10 landlords plan rent increases in 2014

More than four in 10 (42%) UK landlords will be raising rents next year, with over a quarter (26%) planning inflation-busting rent increases of more than 3%, according to a survey carried out by flat and house share website SpareRoom.co.uk.

This might be good news for landlords but it will be unwelcome news for the thousands of people who are trapped renting long term because they can’t afford to climb onto the property ladder, and saw rents soar last year.

The average UK rent for a double room in shared accommodation with bills included rose by 4.5% in Q4 2013 to £507 per month – up from £485 the previous year – according to SpareRoom’s Rental Index. In London, the average room rent increased by 2% in the last quarter to £676 per month, up from £663 a year ago.

The research also revealed that almost six in 10 landlords (58%) are not planning to increase rents in 2013, as many concede that keeping good, reliable tenants in their properties takes priority.

Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said: "The good news is the majority of landlords would rather keep good, reliable tenants than make a few hundred pounds extra profit a year. Landlords hiking rents up by more than 3% risk attracting tenants who could struggle to pay their rent on time or, even worse, risk void periods with no tenants and no rental income at all.”