Renting news
Latest Renting news
Longer tenancies 'may become the norm'
There is pressure for longer tenancies to become the norm at the moment, both in terms of security of tenure and because renting is very much an acceptable way of living now, one expert has asserted. Mark Hayward, chairman of the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFOPP), said that if the private rented sector is ever going to attract significant corporate ...
2nd Jul 2012
Inventories 'are vital' for landlords
It is extremely important that landlords carry out an inventory that is settled with a tenant before any agreement begins, it has been advised. Malcolm Harrison, spokesman for the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, said it is "absolutely vital" to carry out an inventory, because it also counts as a condition report. The pitfall of not doing so is that, if there is a dispute ...
2nd Jul 2012
Renting news archive
Longer tenancies 'becoming the norm'
There has been a shift towards people staying in rental property for longer, according to one expert who has predicted that extended tenancies may be with us for some time. Gary Styles, strategy, risk and economics director at Hometrack, said that longer-term tenancies are set to become more commonplace for a number of reasons. "I think that we may well see a bit more ...
26th Jun 2012
Prime London rental growth slows
There has been a slowdown in the rental growth of prime London property for the first time in two years, the latest data from Savills reveals. According to the figures, rents are down 0.4 per cent year-on-year, in spite of a 2.3 per cent rise in the first six months of 2012. The report notes that prime central London values have remained flat over the past three months, ...
25th Jun 2012
Increasing rents 'has its pitfalls'
Landlords contemplating increasing their rents should be aware that there are pitfalls to the practice, one specialist has pointed out. According to rental property expert James Davis, landlords that think they can earn an extra £100 per month by attracting new tenants should think of the mid- and long-term effects of doing so. Should the rise in costs lead to a ...
25th Jun 2012
Landlord insurance 'is always worth considering'
People moving into buy to let property investment should always ensure they have appropriate insurance in place, which can offer them peace of mind at the very least, one expert has advised. Stuart Law, chief executive at investment adviser Assetz, said that insurance to protect against tenant arrears is a necessity that is "well worth considering", particularly ...
21st Jun 2012
Buying a property '£200k cheaper than renting'
Buying a property works out almost £200,000 cheaper than renting over the course of a lifetime, according to a new report by Barclays. Research carried out by the bank indicates that buying, paying mortgage and maintaining a home costs £429,000 over a period of 50 years, compared to £623,000 in rent – a difference of £194,000. Over a 50-year ...
19th Jun 2012
'Many regions' present buy to let opportunities
There are plenty of regions in the UK that present opportunities for buy to let investment, and successful landlords will be the ones who identify these areas, one specialist has pointed out. Malcolm Harrison, property industry expert speaking on behalf of Let Insurance Services, said that the point of buy-to-let has always been it is a changing market place, where there ...
19th Jun 2012
Council tenants 'could face eviction' under new rules
New government proposals could see council tenants faced with eviction if they do not agree to pay increased rents. The new 'pay-to-stay' scheme is set to be unveiled by housing minister Grant Shapps and will see high-earning council tenants forced to either pay more to remain in their property or face eviction. The aim of the move is to ease the pressure on social ...
13th Jun 2012
Tenants 'need to make themselves appealing'
People competing for a flat need to make themselves as attractive as possible if they are to persuade the landlord to side with them, it has been advised. James Davis, a UK rental property expert, said that tenants need to make sure that they are packaging themselves up as best as they can to a landlord, and are ideally being referenced. "They should [make sure] that ...
12th Jun 2012