Close to one fifth of all households in England and 14% of households in Scotland and Wales live in private rented accommodation. Using results from the monthly Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors survey of agents, we take a look at how agents view the current state of the rental market. Much like the sales market, the quarterly (seasonally adjusted) figures from the RICS survey suggest a subdued rental market.
Agents report a marginal increase in tenant demand over the quarter but at its lowest rate for nearly twenty years. Over the same period, landlord instructions declined, with a net balance of agents reporting a fall in listings. The story was reversed in London where a small net balance of agents reported a rise in listings but a fall in tenant demand. Affordability remains a key pressure on the London market.
- Agents expect rental growth to be low over the coming months and in London agents continue to expect rents to fall. Back in October 2016, a net balance of 28% of agents expected average rents to rise over the following quarter but by July 2017 the net balance expecting rental growth in the next quarter was just 10% – the lowest level since mid-2009. For the sixth consecutive month agents across London expect prices to fall, with a net balance of agents across both the South East and Scotland also anticipating decreases.
- While agents’ expectations are low for the short term, the outlook improves over the longer term. Nationally rents are expected to rise by just under 2% over the next year, but rise to an average of just over 3% per annum by 2022.
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