The news comes from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) who say that 79% of their members are predicting growing rents.
However, a third of agents are reporting that landlords have already increased their rents in April this year. From ARLA’s figures, the biggest number of landlords doing so were in the North West where 46% of landlords there have already increased rents.
In addition, the association's report also reveals that 90% of agents say they are happy with the result of the general election and pleased that rent cap proposals have now been thrown out.
Supply and demand of private rental properties
When it comes to the supply and demand of private rental properties in the UK, the figures reveal that the numbers were similar in March and April. The average figure of managed properties moved slightly on average for ARLA members from 192 to 193. The average number of prospective tenants per branch is 36, which is the same figure for March.
The managing director of ARLA, David Cox, said: “It's going to be interesting to see whether there is an increase in the supply of rental accommodation as a result of the general election.
“The Conservatives have promised to build 200,000 new starter homes which will help first-time buyers onto the housing ladder and, hopefully, help to free up rental property.”
He added that the removal of political uncertainty in the country will help the rental market pick-up and the stated policies on housing and rental properties will help 'point the market in the right direction'.
Best practice guide published for deposit protection disputes
Meanwhile, a guide for landlords and letting agents on how to handle deposit disputes has been published by my|deposits.
The guide shows how to use videos and photos as supporting evidence when there is a tenancy deposit dispute.
It's been put together by the head adjudicator of the organisation, Suzy Hershman.
She said that the supporting evidence is a powerful tool to prove the damage caused to a rental property but it should not be relied upon exclusively.
She added: “Written evidence in the form of detailed check-out and check-in inventories should form the basis of a case being submitted to the Alternative Dispute Resolution Service.”
The dispute guide is available for free from the my|deposits website
