Tenants facing higher rents

12 Sep 2019 02:14 PM

Tenants face higher rents as a result of the demand for private rented housing outstripping supply according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

In its latest survey of the housing market it says demand for private rented housing has increased for an eighth month in a row.

This comes as supply continues to fall, a trend which RICS says stretches all the way back to 2016.

RICS yesterday warned that: 

“Given the consistent imbalance between rising demand and falling supply, rents are seen being squeezed higher over the next three months.”

The warning mirrors that of Professor David Miles, a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, who says in an exclusive article for the Residential Landlords Association that “rents are likely to be higher as supply gradually shrinks.”

David Smith, Policy Director the RLA, yesterday said:

“The government’s approach to the private rented sector is hurting but it is not working. Despite its efforts to boost homeownership, demand for new rental properties is continuing to increase. 

“It is plain wrong to be making landlords the scapegoat for the housing crisis. Ministers need to change tack and introduce a range of pro-growth measures to boost the supply of homes for private rent. If they fail it will be tenants who lose out as they face less choice and higher rents.”