The rental market continues to perform well with properties renting quickly, being empty for only a few weeks a year and with landlords doing what they can to keep their property cashflow positive.

Key headlines this month include:-
Paragon Mortgages – “Landlords expand portfolios in Q4”
Homelet – “Shortage in supply drives increase in average rents”
Acadametrics/LSL BTL – “Tenants feel the festive pinch despite rental reprieve”
Belvoir Lettings – “Average rents over the last five years in the UK show 2012 versus 2008 annual averages are actually 2.4% lower”

This report explains:-

• Buy to let returns remain stable
• Rental indices from Belvoir suggest rents are stable year on year, LSL shows a 3% increase and Homelet a 6% rise indicating in the main, rents have only risen in line with inflation
• Rents in London increase by up to 6% year on year in London
• Scottish rents show small falls in 2012 outside of key areas such as Edinburgh which shows a small rise
• Apart from Great London and the South East, rents have either fallen slightly, remained stable or only increased in line with inflation
• Room rents have increased slightly 2012 versus 2011, most likely to take into account rises in utility bills over the past few years

View the complete Detailed Rental Price Report here for February, which includes:-

• Buy to Let Market Performance
• Rental Averages throughout 2012 (including regional)
• What’s Happening to Room Rents
• Rental Market Outlook for 2013 – Landlords
• Rental Market Outlook for 2013 – Tenants

What to do next? For more help, from Kate and her team, join Property Checklists for free.

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