Buy to let rents will keep going up, say letting agents

Buy to let rents will keep going up, say letting agents

17:14 PM, 3rd March 2011, About 13 years ago 2

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>Buy to let rents are rising fast as more tenants chase fewer properties, say letting agents.  They returned the highest positive rating ever in the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors residential lettings survey as four out of 10 letting agents confirmed rents continued to increase.

Rental yields also surged ahead for the fourth consecutive quarter.

Letting agents say problems raising mortgages and lenders asking for large deposits are the main barrier to buying a home – and as a result many are forced to rent.

In the survey, for the quarter ending January 31, a third more letting agents reported demand was up and that tenants wanted houses rather than flats.

Besides private letting, the survey also looked at private student letting ad found numbers were from 9% of the market to 5%.

Lack of mortgages leaves renting as only option

The number of homes to let is decreasing, with 4% more surveyors reporting decreases, not increases, in the three months to January. The percentage of stock from private landlords has fallen from over 80% before 2009 to around 70%.

RICS explains that this is a result of the buy-to-let investors declining.

Letting agents are confident the market will stay buoyant, with 37% more predicting rents will rise rather than fall over the three months to April 2011.

RICS spokesperson Jeremy Leaf said: “The buoyant state of the rental market is likely to persist for some time given the challenges facing the sales market. It is unlikely that finance for first-time buyers will become more readily available, while uncertainty over the economy may also deter potential homebuyers.

“Demand for property to rent will remain strong and continue to outstrip supply. Rents will remain on an upward trajectory adding to the pressure on many households whose incomes are already being squeezed by rising inflation prices and the hike in VAT.”


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Comments

Ron Price

11:15 AM, 13th March 2011, About 13 years ago

At Long last we in the Social Housing business are beginning to see a return on our investments.

I first entered the BTL market in 1997 when it was Buy to WHAT?

Rents now are in real terms only 60% of what they were TEN YEARS AGO.

We seem to carry the Risks and receive little Benefit.

Add to this the impending reversal of low interest rates...

More BTL Landlords are getting out while they can... adding to the downward pressure on supply of BTL property.

This will inevitably keep the upward pressure on Rents..

Recovery in Property Prices is still at least three years away.

It is not a market for the Timid.

Watch your cash Flow and Hold on Tight if you can is the Mantra...

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

11:46 AM, 13th March 2011, About 13 years ago

"Rents now are in real terms only 60% of what they were TEN YEARS AGO."

I think I know where you are coming from, i.e. rental yield relative to gross value?

There are, however, several other things to bear in mind aren't there? How likely is it that interest rates will go back up to 2001 levels in the next few years?

I think I agree with you generally, the current market is not for the faint hearted but fortune favours the brave.

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