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Graham Awards

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Renters caught out by long-running shortage of homes to let

Renters are finding it tough to locate a new home because of the continuing shortage of supply according to the National Residential Landlords Association.

A survey of private landlords across England and Wales, conducted in partnership with the research consultancy BVA/BDRC, found that 56 per cent reported a rise in demand for privately rented homes in Q4 2021. 

This was almost identical to the 57 per cent who saw the same trend in the third quarter of 2021.

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Regionally, demand was highest in the South West, with 77 per cent of landlords confirming that demand increased in the final quarter of 2021. 

Meanwhile, in a sign of post-Covid recovery in the London market, 74 per cent of Central London landlords saw increased demand. 54 per cent of landlords in this region witnessed a similar trend in Q3 2021.

Despite strong demand, across the country the proportion of landlords planning to reduce the number of properties they let (24 per cent) out strips the proportion plans to purchase homes to let (14 per cent).

This research comes just days after the economic consultancy Capital Economics warned that, without urgent action, the supply of homes for private rent could fall by over half a million over the next 10 years.

Capital Economics found that if owner occupation and social housing continue at their ten-year average rate of growth, private rented sector supply would have to increase by 227,000 per year to hit government targets. It also noted that “even if the other [housing] tenures doubled their rate of growth, 105,000 homes for private rental would be needed each year, which is well above current rates of growth.”

 

NRLA chief executive Ben Beadle says: “The rental housing supply crisis is only set to worsen, as renters continue to feel the effects of a market starved of a healthy supply of homes for private rent.

“The government needs to accept that for all the rhetoric about homeownership, many people need to rent beforehand. Policies that dampen investment in the private rented sector serve only to reduce choice, drive up rents and, as a result, make homeownership more difficult to achieve.”

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  • George Dawes

    Well that is a surprise

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    So the award for the absolutely obvious goes to ...............As a stark contrast from 3 years ago to now, my very good friend who is also a LL has just put his property up for rent (went on yesterday morning), it is identical to one of mine a few doors down, when i put mine up for let 3 years ago i had a trickle of interest over about a 2 week period, it was let of course and for a rent i thought was fair at the time, all very calm and straight forward.

    Fast forward 3 years, the agent he is using had 15 people wanting to view within the first few hours, 3 offered to rent it without viewing it !! This is total and utter madness, the govt have lost the plot. I knew it was bad out there, but the landscape is totally crazy.

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    I had 3 properties become available last year, all had a big increase in rent and all had no shortage of good working people wanting them, Now have a 2 bed bungalow in an expanding village 10 miles from Norwich , tenants have bought, coming available soon, another big increase in asking rent , watch this space.

     
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    Andrew if its a traditional Bungalow and being affected
    by additional HMO Licensing Scheme plus upgrading EPC and all the Certs required that can easily cost £5’000.00 it will take a quite a time to get it back plus loss of rent when you are doing it. The cost of material and some one to do it has shot up, you can work hard do it yourself it will be classed as
    un-earned Income like me up on the roof making good after Storm Eunice and Franklin trying to blow me down.

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    It's a 70s bungalow which at present doesn't need a licence, being an EPC 'D' it will need work come 2028, 1 paid £115k for it and spent around £5k on it at that time, similar bungalows on the estate are selling to FTB for around £200k, so I will keep taking the rent, now going to be marketed at £825 per month, then I can choose to either spend on getting it up to a 'C' or sell it in 2028, really not bothered either way.

     
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    Andrew. I have 2 Flats, one 2 bed and one 3 bed compliant and licensed, others sold locally 2 bed £520k & 3 bed £600k but not as good as mine because they messed up the design and have to go through their bedroom to access the garden. One is let for £1200. & other for £1350. pm. So we are miles apart as regards to returns in London, pound for pound you are 2 to 3 times better off than me.

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    That's why I'm happy being a Norfolk boy

     
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