Recent Articles in Student property checklists

Have Shelter's calls for tenant fees to be dropped increased rents in Scotland?
May 29, 2014

In previous articles I have discussed the impact of dropping tenant fees. In this analysis of the rental market I look at whether Scotland's rents may have been affected by the mere possibility of tenant fees being dropped.

What's happening to National Rents?
May 29, 2014

Average rents are pretty flat at the moment but are still showing increases above inflation.

Belvoir Rental Index
Apr 3, 2014

The Belvoir Lettings Index is a really good guide to what’s happening in your local area for rents. On a monthly basis, rents are analysed by region, but quarterly, they are analysed at county level – one of the few indices to go down to this level. Better still, the report isn’t just on rental statistics, it includes some great expert commentary from agents who are running their lettings business on a day to day basis, so really know what’s happened and what’s happening now. 

Are property rents really starting to rise?
Mar 27, 2014

Despite many a comment about ‘rents being at their highest’ or ‘crazy prices’ they aren’t. One thing we have learned from the credit crunch is even in areas where demand is higher than supply, unlike when buying, property rents are still very much linked to wages. As wages have hardly moved since 2007, neither have rents. Read my article to find out what why are some rental indices are recording increases.

Renting a house - the real picture
Mar 4, 2014

So, all the report headlines are showing rents are flattening – mostly due to a lack of wage growth, and partly due to a bit less rental demand thanks to the upturn in the buying market. The average rents going over ‘£1,000’ from Home.co.uk  may be statistically correct, but it doesn’t show the real picture, and unlike house prices which are zooming up in value in some areas, rents are not following suit.