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Em Morley

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

 

 

Fast Broadband a Property Essential

Published On: September 11, 2014 at 2:08 pm

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There are many things for landlords to consider when buying an investment property: location, transport, amenities … Now, broadband speed joins that list.

Under ten years ago, internet speed was seldom part of a tenant’s wish list, but now, it has become an intrinsic part of our lives.

For professionals who work from home, students who research online, even children completing their homework, a stable broadband provider is fundamental for accomplishing everyday tasks.

Fast Broadband a Property Essential

Fast Broadband a Property Essential

Fast internet access can have a real effect on whether a prospective tenant finds a property appealing. Particularly, students give internet access a high priority on their lists, and will not rent a property if there is not fast service.

London-based letting agents Benham and Reeves conducted a poll amongst their tenants to uncover how important this issue really is.

The research found that all tenants across Benham and Reeves’ 11 offices, expected broadband to be available in their rental property. Not every tenant enquires about the availability before letting.

Tenants renting within the City and Canary Wharf specifically asked thorough questions about the internet, and all students request information about the broadband provision in a property. An increasing number of people renting in central London are asking whether a property has fibre optic broadband.1

Fast internet is clearly of great importance to tenants, and a necessity for students. Having inadequate broadband could be a deal-breaker.

Tenants should not attempt to improve their services alone, however. Tenants who put up their own satellite dishes can be asked to take them down, due to health and safety.

The broadband speed of a rental property can be checked at: http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/speedtest/?gclidCO3cmP26grsCFQUHwwodyTEAeg

By entering the postcode of a property at this address, the upload and download speeds can be tested, and can be used by both landlords and tenants.

The speed of a property’s broadband is becoming more and more essential for tenants, and it is important to remember that the advertised speed is not always the one available. If you’re investing, it may be worth testing out the broadband in the property before purchasing.

Having insufficient broadband speed can fail to attract renters as quickly as initially thought.

1 http://www.brlets.co.uk/blog/london-guide/broadband-speeds-london-rental-property-deliver/

Property Alert Service Fight Against Property Fraud

Published On: September 10, 2014 at 5:06 pm

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Over 12,000 people have signed up to the Land Registry’s Property Alert service, six months after it was introduced. The free system will deliver early warnings of any suspicious activity on a property.

Director of Legal Services at the Land Registry, Alasdair Lewis, says: “We introduced Property Alert to help people to protect their most valuable asset, their home. We’re glad that Property Alert has proved so popular.

“However, there are still many homeowners who are unaware of the risk of property fraud and how to protect themselves, so we are asking people to share our advice and video with their friends and family to spread the word.”1

Property Alert Service Fight Against Property Fraud

Property Alert Service Fight Against Property Fraud

The Land Registry have provided an example of how Property Alert could have warned property owners sooner:

“Mr. Q rented out his property using letting agents while he lived overseas. His letting agents were approached by someone claiming to have bought the property. This was a surprise to them, so they contacted Mr. Q.

“Mr. Q then contacted Land Registry’s property fraud line. Upon investigation, it was found that an application to transfer Mr. Q’s property into the name of a buyer had been received. A staff member also spotted discrepancies between Mr. Q’s signature and previously scanned documents. We [Land Registry] sent a letter to the buyer’s solicitor requesting confirmation of the steps taking to verify Mr. Q’s identity.

“Mr. Q’s solicitor also contacted Land Registry to confirm that he had known the family for over 20 years and that Mr. Q had not sold his property. He referred the matter to the police on Mr. Q’s behalf.

“As we had not received sufficient evidence from the buyer’s solicitor in respect of the signature verification for Mr. Q, we cancelled the transfer application and the sale wasn’t registered.

“If Mr. Q had signed up for Property Alert, he would have received an email alert when Land Registry had first received notification that a transfer of ownership would be arriving. He could then have looked into the matter sooner.”1

Property fraud can affect people in many ways. For instance, one way is to steal someone’s identity and try to obtain ownership of a property by using fake documents. The fraudsters will then mortgage the property without the owner’s knowledge, before leaving with the money.

Land Registry has blocked fraudsters in the property industry on homes a total of £66m in worth, within the past five years.1

Recently, two scammers stole £50,000 by selling an empty house they did not own. The Land Registry noticed the fraud before it was registered, however, the criminals got away with the money and are still currently wanted by police.

Homeowners and landlords can set up a free online account to use Property Alert at Land Registry’s website https://propertyalert.landregistry.gov.uk/.

Members of the service can oversee a maximum of ten properties, and will receive email alerts when Land Registry receives an application to change the register, and also for official searches.

Property owners can then decide if they consider the activity suspicious, and if whether they should seek further guidance. If an alert is sent stating that the bank has lodged a search on a property, but the owner has not applied for a mortgage, they may want to seek legal advice, contact Action Fraud, or speak to the bank in question.

Investigations into mortgage applications can then start much sooner in the process.

The Land Registry has identified tenanted properties, empty homes, properties where there are family disputes, and houses without mortgages as the most at risk of property fraud.

1 http://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/news_features/Property-Alert-service-proves-popular-in-the-fight-against-property-fraud

 

 

Landlords with One Property are Struggling

Published On: September 9, 2014 at 12:02 pm

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A report from the National Landlords Association (NLA) suggests that more than a quarter of landlords with just a single property struggle to make a profit on their investment.

The findings show that 27% of single property landlords either break even, or run at an operating loss, in comparison to 19% of landlords owning between two and four properties.[1]

Landlords with One Property are Struggling

Landlords with One Property are Struggling

NLA estimations suggest that around half of private landlords have a portfolio of between one to four properties.

Carolyn Uphill, Chairman of the NLA said that the figures underlined the difficulty of buy-to-let investment. She said that the findings “point to a significant number of landlords who struggle to make ends meet, and show that for many, being a landlord isn’t just about watching rent money roll in.”[1]

Uphill states: “With proper planning and financial protection,” a number of struggling landlords could “turn a failing business into a success.” She goes on to implore landlords to “explore the range of support the NLA can offer to help run a successful and profitable business.”[1]

[1] http://www.whathouse.com/news/article/5409a2fc53471986538b4567

 

 

Many single property landlords only break even

Published On: September 9, 2014 at 10:57 am

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The latest figures released from the National Landlords Association highlight the difficulty of single property landlords in the current market. According to the figures, just over a quarter of landlords with a single property either return even money or run at an operating loss.

There was slightly better news for landlords currently letting between two and four properties. The findings of the report show that 19%[1] of these landlords break even or make a loss. Estimates from the NLA suggest that approximately half of all landlords within the U.K let between one and four rental properties.

Many single property landlords only break even

Many single property landlords only break even

Struggle

Chairman of the National Landlords Association, Carolyn Uphill, said that the report findings serve notice that becoming a landlord is not as simple as many people would have suggest. Uphill said that the findings show that a sharp number of private landlords, ‘struggle to make ends meet.’ She also suggested that many have found that, ‘being a landlord isn’t just about watching rent money roll in.’

Assistance

By analyzing the statistics from the NLA report, it is clear that a private landlord requires a professional and knowledgeable working approach in order to ultimately become a success. Many landlords, according to Carolyn Uphill, lack these qualities due to a lack of support. She argues that with correct, ‘planning and financial protection’ in place, many landlords could, ‘turn a failing business into a success.’

There are a number of online management systems that can be of assistance to landlords struggling to make a success of their rental property. To find out more about the service available through the NLA, please follow this link http://www.landlords.org.uk/services/nla-rent-manager

 [1] //www.landlords.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/quarter-small-landlords-break-even-or-run-loss

Future Looks Gloomy for the BTL Market

Published On: September 7, 2014 at 5:10 pm

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The future is looking gloomy for the buy-to-let market, as landlords have to halt rent rises, are facing nightmare tenants, and could see high fines if they do not carefully check their tenants are living in the UK legally before signing a tenancy agreement.

Long-term buy-to-let investor Ralph Tennent says that landlords must look after their tenants.

Tennent states that it is simpler and cheaper to keep existing tenants than to find new ones. Properties with reliable boilers and central heating are most appealing to good tenants, he adds.

Future Looks Gloomy for the BTL Market

Future Looks Gloomy for the BTL Market

He says: “Earlier this year I realised three of my homes needed new boilers so I did a lot of research into the best replacement options.

“I found a company called Hassle Free Boilers which replaced them with the latest models with no upfront costs. It was the most cost effective way I could find, and as the replacements included a maintenance plan, my tenants can call Hassle Free direct if they have any problems.”

This system also includes gas safety checks, keeping Tennent practising legally in his properties.

“Changing a heating system can be tough but this time the process was painless for me and my tenants,” he says.1

However, letting specialist LSL Property Services claims that rent rises are being held back drastically.

Until lately, their research found that average rents in London have been increasing by up to 8% per year, but now, the average growth is just 1%.1

This is reflected around the country; however, quality homes in good locations can still take excessive rents.

If house prices are steadying, then landlords may not gain the high profits they have seen. Insurance company Axa state additionally, there is a large proportion of tenants causing trouble for their landlords.

Almost a fifth of tenants say that they have broken the terms of their tenancy agreements by having pets in their rental homes, and three in ten say that they frequently pay their rent late. One in ten has left their property before the agreement ended, to avoid paying final bills.

Axa have also reported that 15% of tenants have received noise complains from neighbours, and one in ten state that the police have been called to their property whilst they are living there.1

Landlords are especially aware of troublesome tenants, due to the Misuse of Drugs Act, that sees landlords facing prosecution if their tenant produces illegal substances in their house. The Immigration Act, coming into force next month, will also add pressure to landlords.

The new Act will see landlords face fines of up to £3,000 if they do not thoroughly check their potential tenants’ rights to live in the UK.

Axa’s Business Insurance Manager, Darrell Sansom, says: “New landlords in particularly may not realise all the legal implications and duties now involved in renting out a property.”1

A slice of good news for landlords this autumn is that mortgage rates are not increasing, and may continue dropping.

Lee Grandin, of Landlord Mortgages, says: “The price increases we have seen in the residential market over the past year have not yet filtered through to buy-to-let deals and some mortgage rates for landlords are actually going down.”1

1 http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/mortgageshome/article-2746065/Buy-let-bonanza-coming-end-landlords.html