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Almost a third of UK landlords have seen rent arrears in 2014, new research shows
Almost a third of landlords in the UK, approximately 500,000, say they have experienced rent arrears in the last 12 months, according to new research. The research from the National Landlords Association (NLA), shows that a typical landlord faces £1,649 of outstanding rent each, totalling £850 million worth of rent arrears across the UK. The findings also show that 22%, approximately 300,000, are worried that their tenants won’t be able to keep up rental payments over the next year. The research supports the launch of the NLA’s latest campaign called Rent, Risk Resolve which aims to highlight four of the biggest risks facing landlords and help them to minimise the impact on their lettings business. The biggest risks are named as rent arrears, rising interest rates, local landlord licensing and regulation and the introduction of rent controls. ‘All landlords will be affected by one or more of these issues to some extent somewhere down the line and it’s vital for them to keep in mind the major threats to the success of their business,’ said Carolyn Uphill, NLA chairman. Regardless of the size of a portfolio the potential impact of these risks can be devastating on both the business and personal life. As the largest landlord association in the UK, we have a duty to support and advise on how to plan ahead effectively and manage these risks,’ she explained. The first focus of the NLA’s campaign will be the risk of rent arrears. The NLA has produced a guide to support landlords to deal with the problem. Continue reading
Third of UK properties have seen prices drop since going on sale
A third of properties on the market in the UK currently for sale have been discounted, up from 27% in February and the highest since August 2012 the latest data shows. The highest proportion of asking price reductions are to be found in Yorkshire and Lancashire in Preston, Barnsley, Wakefield, Rotherham, according to the latest research from property firm Zoopla. London is among cities with the fewest price reductions but discounts have doubled since start of year and overall some £3.8 billion has been knocked off UK asking prices, equivalent to £24,429 per property The average price reduction has also grown since the start of the year, with asking price reductions now at 6.7% on average off the initial asking price, equivalent to £24,429, up from 6.3% or £20,781 in February 2014. Preston has the highest proportion of price reductions in the country at 44% of properties having had their asking price lowered since first coming to the market. This is closely followed by the Yorkshire towns of Barnsley, Wakefield and Rotherham all at 43%. However it is not just in the north of England where sellers are resetting their expectations. The largest discounts currently are to be found in affluent Mitcham in south west London where sellers have dropped prices by 9.2% on average, equal to £55,606. The research also shows that sellers in Edinburgh are the most confident of achieving their original asking prices, with only 22% of properties for sale having their prices reduced, the lowest proportion across the country. This is followed by London where only 29% of homes have seen their asking prices lowered from the original price. However, this is almost double the proportion recorded in February 2014 when only 15% saw their asking prices reduced. ‘The property market typically slows in December as buyers postpone their plans until the New Year and become pre-occupied with the festive season, but these figures suggest that sellers may be being forced to rest their expectations and become more realistic in order to secure a buyer. People are well attuned to a bargain at this time of year, so homebuyers may want to capitalise on the latest raft of reductions,’ said Lawrence Hall of Zoopla. ‘The recent Stamp Duty reforms have injected a real feel-good factor into the property market that is likely to last into January when there will be a renewed surge in buyers looking for property. There would usually be an air of uncertainty in the lead up to an election, but the positivity created by the tax overhaul should ensure this isn’t as keenly felt as usual,’ he added. Continue reading
Buyers pay premium of 21% to live within a UK National Park
The price premium for properties within a National Park in the UK has increased from 18% to 21%, new research shows. And the premium for a property within five kilometres of a National Park is 8%, according to the research by the Nationwide Building Society. Around 190,000 households are located within the boundaries of National Parks, and the research suggests that this factor alone attracts a significant price premium. Indeed, a property located within a National Park attracts a 21% price premium over an otherwise identical property. This is around £39,000 in cash terms based on the current average house price of £188,810 and the data also shows that the price premium for being within a National Park has increased slightly from 18% a year ago, when the research was last conducted. Moreover, the premium is not limited entirely to properties located within the boundaries of the National Park. There is also evidence of a ‘fringe benefit’ for properties located just outside the boundaries of National Parks. ‘National Parks are highly desirable areas in which to live thanks to the beautiful countryside. Development is also strictly controlled, with very little in the way of new housing construction, which also helps to explain why prices are relatively high,’ said Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist. The South Downs has overtaken the New Forest as most expensive National Park to buy property within and this is due to stronger price growth over the last year. It is England’s newest National Park, spanning 1,624 square kilometres across Hampshire and Sussex and contains the highest number of households at around 47,000. It includes a number of towns situated in the western Weald, including Petersfield, Liss, Midhurst and Petworth. The Peak District serves the highest number of people, with around 5.9 million living within 25 kilometres of its boundary. Its central location makes it accessible from major population centres such as Derby, Sheffield and Manchester. It is also a desirable place to live and average prices within the park have increased by 11% over the past year. The Cairngorms in Scotland is the largest National Park by land area, but is located within a very sparsely populated part of Scotland. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs are closest to major cities such as Glasgow and Edinburgh, with 1.1 million people within 25 kilometres. National Parks cover 20% of the land area in Wales, the highest proportion of the home nations. The largest of these is Snowdonia, covering 2,176 square kilometres. Snowdonia remains the least expensive National Park to live within, although did see the strongest growth over the last year. Continue reading
