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Significant increase in new lending for UK commercial property markets
There was a significant rise in new lending to the UK commercial sector in the first half of 2014 but the recovery has been uneven across the country. Overall outstanding debt held against UK commercial property fell to £171 billion in the six months from £180.3 billion at the end of 2013 as lenders continued to reduce their loan books following the 2009 financial crisis, according to a report from academics at De Montfort University. The report, the most comprehensive analysis of the UK’s commercial property lending market, also found a significant drop in the volume of old loans that were distressed or in breach of financial covenants. However, it noted that organisations much more willing to lend against assets in London than elsewhere, and also more inclined to lend against investment properties rather than new development. New lending accelerated during the period with £19.6 billion of new lending, the highest total recorded by the study since 2008, compared with £13.4 billion in the first half of 2013 and £29.9 billion for the whole of 2013. However, the report points out that the increase in activity generally in the commercial property market was not debt fuelled to the same extent as occurred before the financial crisis when, for example, some £49.2 billion of loan originations were completed in the first half of 2007. It is initially, therefore, most probably equity driven, it explains. The report also found the lending market becoming more diverse, with UK Banks and Building Societies representing 36% of new origination at the mid year point compared with 43% of new lending in 2013, and a share of 54% of the existing stock of outstanding loans. It also outlined significant differences in lending activity and appetite remain across the country. For example, 80% of organisations active in the market reported that they would lend on prime investment projects in London, compared to 46% who would do so in Northern Ireland. While lenders’ appetite for development risk is also improving, it remains a preserve for the specialist, particularly where the project is speculative: 26% of lenders were prepared to provide senior debt to finance such projects at the mid point of 2014, compared to 12% at the middle of 2013. Liz Peace, chief executive of the British Property Federation, said that the outlook for debt finance to support the commercial property market is very positive. ‘The steady reduction of outstanding debt, and of loans with dangerously high loan to value ratios, is very encouraging,’ she explained. ‘Although new lending is growing at a significant rate, the fact that the market seems to be mainly equity driven means that we are unlikely to be living through another 2007. However, we are concerned about the potential implications of the lack of debt finance available for speculative development,’ she pointed out. ‘While lender caution in this area is totally understandable given events in the past few years, there are parts of the country where new, high-quality… Continue reading
Scottish residential tenants are generally happy with the PRS property mark
Over 35% of tenants in Scotland have lived in their current home for longer than a year with 10% living longer than three years, a new survey has found. The poll by Lettingweb, described as the largest ever undertaken in Scotland, shows that 88% of tenants believed they had been treated fairly during their current tenancy. It also found that 86% reported that there had been no increase in rent during their tenancy, with over 90% believing the frequency of rent reviews being reasonable in their experience. Almost 95% had never been asked to leave a tenancy for an unexplained or unreasonable reason but tenants are concerned by the lack of supply of properties to let with only 42% being confident of finding another suitable home if they had to. The firm says that the overall picture is in stark contrast to moves in the Scottish Parliament to control rents. It indicates that tenants welcome the flexibility of the private rented sector (PRS), whilst appreciating that they have considerable security of tenure and are generally able to stay as long as they want. That accords with a long term growth in the Scottish PRS, which has doubled in size over the past decade, with significant increases in the numbers of prospective tenants looking for affordable, high quality property to let. ‘This is a myth buster report as it destroys many preconceptions of the sector. The overwhelming picture is that rents are unlikely to rise during leases and that landlords treat their tenants well. The private rented sector can be proud of their ability to supply good property at a price tenants are willing to pay, and increases have been less than inflation for a period of over eight years,’ said Dan Cookson, head of research at Lettingweb. ‘The stand out figure for me is that only 42% of tenants are confident of finding alternative rented accommodation if they had to. That’s a consequence of limited supply, and more needs to be done to bring greater investment into the sector to meet that demand, and widen confidence that alternatives are available,’ he explained. ‘Our market reports indicate that the time taken to re-let properties at the end of each lease are very short indeed. The market is demanding an expansion of the private rented sector. Government needs to respond by creating conditions for increased supply to come forward,’ he added. According to Malcolm Warrack, chairman of Letscotland, it is a significant survey and as the Scottish Government moves towards legislating for a new type of tenancy agreement for use in the private rented sector, they must listen to the voices of tenants, who are overwhelmingly well served by landlords and letting agents. ‘The challenge must be to implement change in a way which increases the supply of rented accommodation reaching the market. Any reforms brought forward must not lead to reductions… Continue reading
Report reveals key sites in London that could realise at least 100,000 new homes
At least 100,000 homes could be built on public land in London but sites will need co-ordinated planning to maximise delivery, a new analysis suggests. London needs tens of thousands of new homes to be built every year to cope with demand for both owners and tenants as steep population growth coupled with years of undersupply of new homes means that London is bearing the brunt of the UK’s housing crisis. With the city’s population expected to surpass its previous 1939 peak of 8.9 million early next year and continue climbing to 11.3 million by 2050, the need to make full use of public sector assets is pressing, according to the report from real estate firm Savills. It reveals that the process of identifying and co-ordinating the delivery of sites is more advanced in London than in other part of the country. ‘The position of the Greater London Authority (GLA) as a major landowner as well as Mayoral powers to facilitate land assembly are key to delivering more homes. Boroughs are also becoming more proactive at managing their assets and building more homes,’ said Susan Emmett, director of residential research at Savills. The firm’s analysis of the GLA’s asset database, which includes land belonging to Transport for London (TfL), London Legacy Development Corporations (LLDC), London Fire Brigade (LFB) and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), has identified enough public land for at least 100,000 new homes in London. Many of these sites are operational. However, this number also includes sites for the 40,000 new homes previously earmarked by the GLA when it acquired the London property assets of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) worth £365 million in 2012. Of the 635 hectare portfolio inherited at that time, 85% has been developed, committed for development, or is being marketed. Since April 2012 contractual commitments have been entered into for over 145 hectares of land, with an estimated gross development value in excess of £3.6 billion. The Mayor is committed to having an exit strategy in place for all of the GLA’s current landholdings by 2016 and the process is well advanced, the report explains. The analysis of GLA sites marked for disposal showed that many of the saleable sites are grouped in lower value areas to the east of Canary Wharf. ‘Lower value, post-industrial land with poor infrastructure links can be difficult to bring forward through traditional development routes. A co-ordinated approach with the Mayor at the centre is essential to open up new neighbourhoods,’ it adds. It points out that the GLA aims to assist in the regeneration of areas by investing in infrastructure and site decontamination and better transport links and investment in the public realm are also important to encourage development, especially in new areas. ‘There are some good examples of public land already being used in regeneration schemes to bring forward more homes. One major site delivering a substantial number of homes is Barking Riverside with plans for up to… Continue reading
