The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has found that, in September, letting agents managed on average 193 properties per branch.
This is up from 183 in August and the highest level seen since April 2015 when there were also 193 rental properties registered per branch
The number of rental properties managed per branch had fallen to lows of 171 so far this year; ARLA says that the rise to 193 in September “paints a positive picture for renters amid market-wide expectations of post-Brexit uncertainty”.
The number of agents witnessing rent hikes for tenants is at the lowest level so far this year, with just 24% of agents reporting increases. This is down 3% from August when 27% of agents saw rent increases, and eight% from this year’s high seen back in March, when 32% of agents saw rises.
David Cox, ARLA’s managing director, said: “This month’s findings paint a really positive picture for renters. Although demand is rising, we’ve seen this happen gradually over the course of the year, and would expect it to slow again in line with seasonal trends over the next few months.
“On the other hand, the supply of rental stock has risen astronomically, which suggest it’s not quite right that landlords are pulling out of the market as a result of Brexit. This is supported in our findings, which reveal the number of landlords selling their buy-to-let properties hasn’t changed since April, when three landlords were selling up per branch.
“It’s good to see less landlords hiking rents this month, but 24% is still too high. The cost of renting is already high in many parts of the country and until the government converts its pledges and promises into bricks and mortar, we won’t see renters reach a position where they’re able to save to get on the housing ladder. It will be interesting to see how this is tackled in the upcoming Autumn Statement.”
