Posts with tag: London landlords

How do London landlords compare to those in other regions?

Published On: February 16, 2017 at 3:23 pm

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,

An interesting piece of data released by the Council of Mortgage Lenders has revealed how London landlords shape up to those in the rest of the UK.

According to the report, those in London are likely to have greater disposable income, work full-time and become landlords and a younger age.

London Landlords

In London, around 50% of landlords have at least £1,000 monthly disposable income. Outside of the capital, just one-third of landlords report this kind of cash.

London landlords are 27% more likely to be in full-time employment and 37% less likely to be retired than landlords in the rest of the country.

In addition, they are 25% less likely to start as an accidental landlord and 50% more likely to become a landlord after moving in with a partner who already owns a home.

The typical age of a first-time landlord in London is 42, in comparison to 47 outside of the capital.

How do London landlords compare to those in other regions?

How do London landlords compare to those in other regions?

Properties Owned

In terms of property types, landlords in the capital are more likely to let out flats, with 79% owning this type of dwelling. 47% have houses to let, in comparison to 84% in the rest of the country.

60% of capital landlords own a single investment property, while 20% own two-similar to the demographic in the rest of the UK. In addition, landlords in London are just as likely to offer tenancies of more than 12 months than in other areas.

The use of a letting agent is more common in London, but landlords in the capital are less likely to opt to obtain full management through their agent.

Using a limited company is still relatively uncommon, both in and out of London. Just 6.2% of landlords in London have incorporated, as opposed to 2.8% outside of the capital.

 

Estate Agent Announces Event for Landlords in London

Published On: October 21, 2016 at 10:11 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,

Estate agent Portico has announced its latest event for landlords in London on 22nd November 2016 at the Institute of Directors.

Organised by Portico and held in association with the National Landlords Association (NLA), the London Landlord Seminar will offer a wealth of advice and information from property experts, including an update on the current market. The evening event will also include a panel discussion on how to get the most out of your investment in light of recent tax and legislative changes. The full line-up can be found below.

Estate Agent Announces Event for Landlords in London

Estate Agent Announces Event for Landlords in London

The event also offers an opportunity for guests to network with other landlords, along with drinks and canapés.

Portico hosted a similar seminar last year, which was completely sold out, attracting over 300 landlords in London. This year, the agent promises a bigger and better event!

Line-up 

A key speaker for the event will soon be announced.

Introduction – Richard Blanco, London Representative at the NLA

Richard will kick off the evening by talking through all of the latest changes in Government policy and Sadiq Khan’s plans for London.

London property market – Mark Lawrinson, Regional Director of Portico

Mark will shed light on the post-Brexit property market, focusing on the uncertainty surrounding house prices. He will go through the latest figures, including an analysis of rental yields across London boroughs.

Networking break

Meet the speakers and other landlords

Adapting your investment strategy

A panel debate on the best strategy for landlords in London in 2017, with Richard Bowser, the Editor of Property Investor News, Robert Nicholls, the Managing Director of Portico, Nicole Bremner, a commercial/residential developer, and Simon Allen, of Searchlight Finance.

Round-up of the evening – Mark Lawrinson and Richard Blanco

For more information on the event, visit: https://www.portico.com/seminar/

Tickets are just £10 with the promotional code: POR41CO

If you are thinking of heading to the event, it is on Tuesday 22nd November 2016 at 6.30pm at the Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London, SW1Y 5ED.

Legal & General Invests Billions in East London Housing and Infrastructure

Published On: September 23, 2016 at 9:25 am

Author:

Categories: Finance News

Tags: ,,,,

Legal & General has backed investments of over £1 billion in east London housing and infrastructure in 2016 alone. The firm has already invested over £8 billion in UK infrastructure, housing and urban regeneration, and SME finance, and is on track to invest £15 billion.

Legal & General invests in infrastructure to secure long-term income for pensioners and returns for shareholders. Infrastructure investment boosts UK economic growth, which benefits businesses and wider society.

Legal & General Invests Billions in East London Housing and Infrastructure

Legal & General Invests Billions in East London Housing and Infrastructure

In east London, Legal & General’s investments include:

  • Transport for London’s new £246m headquarters in Stratford
  • Build to rent flats in Walthamstow, in partnership with PGGM, creating over 400 homes
  • Forward funding of 445 rooms for Queen Mary University of London students in Stratford for £63m
  • DP World’s London Gateway port, with the Pension Protection Fund, for £400m
  • Amazon’s new fulfilment centre at Tilbury

The firm is committed to modernising Britain’s cities by investing in real assets, creating new jobs and, through collaborative partnerships, delivering local economic growth.

The Managing Director of Legal & General Retirement, Kerrigan Procter, says: “East London is a great place to invest. We have invested over £1 billion of long-term capital in new assets, and are looking at many more opportunities here and across the UK. Our direct investments are economically and socially useful, with every £1 invested in physical infrastructure generating around £3 of local economic activity.

“In a world where over $10 trillion of government bonds earn negative returns, our direct investments create local economic growth, income for pensioners and returns for shareholders. The UK needs new infrastructure if it’s going to grow and prosper in the 21st century, and we are helping to fund and deliver it.”

The Transport for London building, at the International Quarter in Stratford, is part of the wider regeneration of the area, which is expected to create over 40,000 jobs and 11,000 new homes in the coming years.

The Walthamstow build to rent development is scheduled for completion in 2018, and is part of Legal & General’s partnership with PGGM, the Dutch pension fund manager, to invest £600m in build to rent homes and create a new institutional asset class.

The 26-storey student accommodation development is pre-let to Queen Mary University of London and is being built on the site of a former petrol station on Stratford High Street.

The DP World’s London Gateway port is the UK’s first new port in over two decades, and is situated on the Thames estuary at Stanford-le-Hope, Essex. Since the start of construction, London Gateway has already created thousands of jobs in London and the South East, and is helping London to regain its status as one of the world’s largest ports.

Amazon’s new fulfilment centre at Tilbury will create 1,500 jobs and be completed in 2017.

Landlords, take this great opportunity to invest in an up-and-coming area. East London is soon to be a hub of new homes, more jobs and improved infrastructure – all features that attract private renters to an area. Snap up an east London investment now!

If you need more encouragement, here’s why you should buy in east London: /why-landlords-should-buy-in-east-london/

London Lettings Market “Strongest Ever” Despite Brexit, Reports Estate Agent

Published On: September 21, 2016 at 9:06 am

Author:

Categories: Property News

Tags: ,,,,,

The London lettings market has recorded its “strongest ever” month, despite forecasts of a prolonged Brexit slump following June’s referendum result, reports estate agent Douglas & Gordon.

London Lettings Market "Strongest Ever" Despite Brexit, Reports Estate Agent

London Lettings Market “Strongest Ever” Despite Brexit, Reports Estate Agent

A 31% annual surge in revenue from lettings in August broke the firm’s record for monthly income. Along with recording a 12% increase in new tenancies, Douglas & Gordon experienced a 20% jump in enquiries from relocation letting agents, working on behalf of large international firms with bases in London.

The sharp growth seen in August suggests that the capital may have avoided a mass exodus of top foreign companies, says the firm.

Douglas & Gordon has also witnessed a marked change in the working patterns of employees from overseas firm. Contrasting to previous years, the majority of corporate lettings enquiries are for properties outside prime central London, with relocation teams preferring the lower rent prices of emerging prime areas, such as Clapham, Southfields and Battersea, where rents range from £650-£1,200 per week.

Overseas workers are also living in flats rather than houses, reports the estate agent, which suggests an end to the traditional package of relocating an entire family.

Rather than renting four-bedroom houses in central London, firms are now offering employees one-bed flats in emerging prime areas, with the option of commuting home for a long weekend.

The Director of Lettings at Douglas & Gordon, Virginia Skilbeck, comments on the data: “The fact we have had a fifth more relocation lettings enquiries this year compared to August last year shows that companies are still moving people in London. We’ve seen some interest from Americans, but it’s mainly Europeans – French, Germans and Italians.

“Landlords who were holding their breath before the referendum are now coming back to the market and the vote initially sparked uncertainty from house sellers too, many of whom are viewing renting as a good stop-gap while they decide what to do.”

She continues: “That’s led to high stock levels in the lettings market, so flexibility is crucial for both landlords and tenants, as both parties may want a six or nine-month break clause to keep their options open.

“Landlords also need to be realistic about rental rates. If a property is priced correctly, then it will see the demand, but if it’s too expensive then tenants have plenty of other properties to choose from.”

This guide will help you set the right rent price for your property: https://www.justlandlords.co.uk/news/setting-perfect-rent-price-property/

With the London lettings market looking strong, will the capital defy expectations from industry professionals and remain robust in the face of Brexit?

Wembley Landlord Mohammed Ali Dealt Final Blow

Published On: September 21, 2016 at 8:27 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,,

A rogue Wembley landlord has been fined almost £7,500 for cramming six families into an unlicensed, semi-detached house.

A mother and her two children shared one bedroom

A mother and her two children shared one bedroom

Willesden Magistrates’ Court was told that Mohammed Mehdi Ali, of Barn Hill in Wembley, had not bothered to license his property, which was built as a four-bedroom family home. It now has six bedsit-style rooms and a shared kitchen and bathroom.

A raid by council enforcement officers found that 16 people were living in the house, including at least six children. Each of the rooms were let to a different family or group, with each only having their bedroom as living space, as the living room was being used as another bedroom. The tenants shared just one bathroom and two toilets between them.

The situation was only made worse by Mr. Ali’s blatant disregard of basic fire safety measures. Despite earning at least £2,300 per month in rent from the property, the Wembley landlord had not installed adequate smoke alarms or fire doors.

It also emerged that Mr. Ali lives next door to the rented house, something the court considered to be an aggravating factor in the case, as he would have been fully aware of what was going on in his property.

As he did not attend court, Mr. Ali was convicted in his absence of offences under the Housing Act 2004, and was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,318 and a victim surcharge of £170 – a total of £7,488.

The Wembley landlord had used a letting agent, Easy Let Homes, to collect rent on his behalf. The company pleaded guilty to offences under the Housing Act 2004, and was fined £450 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £45. The court said that it had taken the company’s full cooperation into account.

Councillor Harbi Farah, Brent Council’s Lead Member for Housing, comments on the case: “Given the serious overcrowding and poor fire safety in this house, we could easily be reflecting on a much more serious crime here.

“The contempt Mr. Ali has shown for this legal process by not even bothering to turn up for sentencing speaks volumes. The vast majority of landlords and letting agents in Brent are honest and law abiding, but we take a zero tolerance approach to the minority who think they can treat their tenants like this. Failure to license your property could result in an unlimited fine and a criminal record.”

Are you a Wembley landlord? Remember that most private landlords in Brent are legally required to obtain a license for their properties from the council. Find out more at www.brent.gov.uk/prslicensing.

Where are London’s best regions for rental yields?

Published On: September 13, 2016 at 11:49 am

Author:

Categories: Landlord News

Tags: ,,,

Interesting new research has revealed the top-ten places for buy-to-let investment in London.

Data from the report by London-based estate agents Portico reveals that Croydon tops the list, with landlords enjoying yields of over 5%.

Hot-spots

Unsurprisingly, many of the regions in the top-ten are located in outer London boroughs, where rental returns are usually greater.

Croydon came out on top due to a number of features, both existing and under construction. Fredrik Sandvall, Head of Multi-Let London, noted, ‘Croydon is a buy-to-let hotspot because of its affordable property prices, compared with many other parts of London and its excellent transport links to the city. Croydon is undergoing a massive £5.25bn regeneration programme across East Croydon, West Croydon, Mid Croydon, Fairfield and Old Town.’[1]

‘At the heart of these transformative plans will be a £1.5bn retail and leisure complex by Westfield/Hammerson, eight new hotels, more than 2m sq ft office space and 8,000 new homes. The first Boxpark outside Shoreditch, Boxpark Croydon is due to open in October, outside East Croydon station and will offer more than 40 food and drink outlets, alongside shared open spaces and regular events. With blue-chip employers, a thriving town centre and growing demand for rental accommodation, Croydon is already a great place to invest,’ Mr Sandvall continued.[1]

Where are London's best regions for rental yields?

Where are London’s best regions for rental yields?

HMO’s

Sandvall went on to observe that, ‘a high quality HMO in the town will give an annual yield of between 8% and 15%. A three-bedroomed, single let property in Croydon may typically achieve a gross rent of £1,500 pcm for a family. If it is converted into a HMO, the gross rent on the same property could exceed £4,000 pcm. This represents a significant profit opportunity for buy-to-let investors, who have the required expertise to generate sustainable returns in this increasingly competitive market.’[1]

‘If a high quality refurbishment is undertaken, the property can attract working professionals in the right location, who are prepared to pay more for a shared property, with a superior finish.  Luxury ensuites, large TVs, premium kitchen appliances and furnishings are the type of features that help to generate a high yielding HMO, where the market conditions accommodate,’ he concluded.[1]

[1] http://www.propertyreporter.co.uk/landlords/where-is-ranked-top-for-best-yields-in-london.html