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Bank of England already has power to regulate buy to let, it is confirmed
The UK’s expanding buy to let sector could be hit if plans announced by Chancellor George Osborne to regulate mortgages in this part of the lending market go ahead. The sector has been taken aback by Osborne’s announcement during a Treasury Committee hearing that he has already given the Bank of England additional powers to regulate the buy to let market. He had already said he would consult about such a move after Bank Governor Mark Carney said that the buy to let market could be a threat to the UK’s economic recovery. But now it seems that the Bank can regulate the sector anyway, should it wish to do so. It already has the power to regulate the rest of the residential mortgage market in a move that was designed to prevent the housing sector from overheating as demand is pushing prices ever higher. Banks must now ensure that no more than 15% of residential mortgages are given to people borrowing more than 4.5 times their income and are also required to ensure that borrowers can repay their loans even when interest rates rise. However, it was thought that until now these rules do not currently apply to buy to let mortgages which account for around a sixth of the home lending market. Indeed, Osborne confirmed that he took Carney’s views on the buy to let market ‘very seriously’, adding that one of the biggest challenges is managing credit booms and house price cycles. ‘We have given the FPC powerful tools to, for example, tighten mortgage standards if they feel there’s a credit bubble developing. The governor of the Bank and the FPC have asked for additional powers over buy to let mortgages which weren’t included and we have granted those powers so they have that tool as well,’ he told the committee. Peter Williams, executive director of the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), said he is disappointed that the promised consultation does not seem to be happening. ‘The Government stated its intention earlier this year to hold a post-election consultation to assess the evidence for granting powers of direction over buy to let lending to the Financial Policy Committee (FPC),’ he pointed out. He explained that the Chancellor’s statement to the Treasury Select Committee suggests ‘stage of evidence-led policy making has been removed, and that the consultation may be limited to what those powers will be when, rather than if, they are granted’. ‘It seems somewhat ironic that this development comes just days after Mark Carney also spoke to the Select Committee about the need for a wider stock take of financial regulations. There is a common interest in ensuring we have a stable market for buy to let, and we feel this would be aided by an open debate about the case for additional FPC powers based on the strength of evidence,’ he added. He also pointed out that the FPC itself recently judged that there is ‘no immediate cause to take action… Continue reading
UK rental market sees sharp rise in demand for one bed flats
Rent rises for one bedroom flats in the UK accelerated sharply in September, sparked by high demand from recent graduates renting to live near their first job, new research has found. Rents for one beds saw an annual rise of 3.9%, from 2.9% in August, reaching an average of £1,054 according to the monthly Landbay Rental Index. The new index, which launched last month, is the first to track rental trends to the county and London borough level in combination with the number of bedrooms. Edinburgh with a rise of 12%, Swindon up 11% and Southend on Sea also up 11%, saw the biggest rises in rents for one bed flats, albeit from lower average rents than some of the other areas to see big year on year increases. The index also shows that rents for three bed properties are seeing the biggest overall rental rises, up 4.8% year on year to £1,489 in September. Across all properties, UK rents rose by 3.7% in the last year to an average £1,288. This was the first increase in annual growth since February, when the average monthly rented price was £1,277. ‘The upward trend in UK rents can simply be explained with one word, jobs. The UK’s job market is going from strength to strength and the rental market is staying hot on its heels,’ said John Goodall, chief executive officer of Landbay. ‘The sharp seasonal jump in rental growth for one beds reflects a buoyant graduate job market as people move to their first job. Flexibility and freedom is the order of the day for first jobbers, and one bedroom flats offer the perfect springboard to take the plunge into full-time working life. One bed flats are also popular for couples and young professionals who don’t want to flat share,’ he explained. ‘Higher housing costs can be a nightmare for tenants when other costs are rising and their wages are stagnating. Fortunately these rent increases come at a time of growing wages and falling costs, according to the latest inflation figures, so while they may not be welcome they don’t leave the same dent in consumers’ pockets,’ he pointed out. ‘For potential investors, these rental figures show how resilient residential property is as an asset class, even when you have unusual economic forces combining like the current mix of low inflation, low interest rate, and high wages,’ he added. Across all property sizes, the top rental risers outside of London were in the southeast, with all but two of the top 10 rental risers of Swindon and Edinburgh, clustered around London. By contrast only one of the top 10 rental fallers, Buckinghamshire, was located in the southeast. According to Joe Macklin, director of index compilers MIAC, there is likely to be a small decline in data volume in the run up to… Continue reading
Docklands and surrounding area in London seeing mini property boom
London’s soaring technology, creative and financial industries are fuelling a mini property boom in locations such as Canary Wharf, Docklands, Greenwich and Blackheath, it is claimed. Property prices rising in some parts such as Blackheath increasing more than 50% faster than during the downturn, according to a new report from lettings and estate agents Chestertons. Prices rose in the first half of the year by 2.6% in Greenwich, 3.4% in Canary Wharf and Docklands 14.4% in Blackheath, according to Land Registry data, while Canary Wharf sales din the first nine months of 2015 were 7% higher than in the corresponding period of 2014. Meanwhile, development is soaring, buy to let investment is booming and many landlords are capitalising on the fierce demand for corporate lets, which can typically realise up to 50% more rental income than standard tenancies. ‘Sustained price growth makes Docklands and slightly adjacent areas such as Greenwich and Blackheath an ideal investment. London has now overtaken New York as the world’s undisputed finance capital, fuelling a jobs boom and a vigorous corporate rental market,’ said Cory Askew, area Director for Chestertons in North and East London. ‘Developers are piling in and the banks continue to provide favourable buy to let finance. With all of these components are in perfect harmony, the residential market here is thriving. We have seen a marked increase in buy to let investor registrations this year. It’s not hard to see why, as surely no other asset class can offer anywhere near these returns,’ added Skew. According to Bradley Bartlett, head of corporate and relocation services at Chestertons, the rising demand for residential property in these areas is being powered by London’s reinvigorated financial sector. ‘Areas such as Greenwich and Blackheath, with plenty of outdoor space and good transport links, are becoming hotspots for workers looking for a comfortable commute to the City or Canary Wharf. And with the current jobs boom, demand for corporate-standard property has never been higher. Our department has seen demand rise by almost a quarter year-on-year, and there’s no sign of the frenzy abating,’ he explained. ‘With a significant number of development sites between Greenwich and Canary Wharf currently under construction, we wait to see what the longer term effects are on the rental sector. There’s no supply crunch at present, but if this surge in demand continues in the coming parts of London’s east end will be set to rival Silicon Valley. In the mid to long term this will surely push rents upwards,’ he added. Continue reading
