Rents rising with more tenants paying above going rate to secure property

Average UK rents have increased for the sixth consecutive quarter, according to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS), with some tenants paying above the going rate to secure a property.

The protector of tenancy deposits says that average rents now stand at £849 a month, up 1.8%, on the £834 recorded in Q4 2021, and a 6.1% increase on £800 in Q1 2021.

According to the organisation’s quarterly Rent Index, London rents have risen the most in value, increasing by 2.5% on Q4 2021 and 6.8% since Q1 2021.

                          London property: average rents by property type
Property Q1 2022 Q4 2021 Q1 2022 vs Q4 2021 (£) Q1 2022 vs Q4 2021 (%) Q1 2022 vs Q1 2021 (%)
Flats £1,416 £1,385 £31 2.24% 8.51%
Terraced £1,766 £1,670 £96 5.75% 5.50%
Semi-detached £1,765 £1,729 £36 2.08% 5.06%
Detached £1,966 £1,872 £94 5.02% 9.65%
All £1,415 £1,381 £34 2.46% 6.79%

The report also describes how flats saw the largest quarterly rise in rents during Q1 2022 — a first for the property category since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, with rents rising 1.9% to £863.

A survey by the organisation during Q1 2022 also highlights how 15% of tenants who responded paid more than advertised rents to secure their property.

Matt Trevett, MD at The DPS, said: “Consistent quarterly rent rises – coupled with survey results that suggest that a proportion of tenants are overpaying to secure a property – underline the current intense demand for, and tight supply of, rental homes in the UK.

“Rents in London are also rebounding strongly, with average rents for flats in the capital increasing by £111 or just under nine per cent during the past twelve months – more than three times the falls seen during 2020, when tenants perhaps sought out more spacious homes outside of the Capital.

Accelerating rents for flats could signal the beginning of the end of the pandemic trend of renters leaving cities.”

Between Q1 2021 and Q1 2022, all UK regions registered an increase in average rents, with 10 out of 12 experiencing increases of more than 4%.

The largest percentage increase during the past 12 months took place in the West Midlands, where rents rose 7.6%, according to the organisation.

Rents during Q1 2022 decreased marginally in the South West by 0.1%, while rents in Yorkshire fell by 0.3%, it added.

Property Type  Q1 2022 Q4 2021 Q1 2022 vs Q4 2021 (%) 2022 Q1 vs 2021 Q1 %
Flats £863 £847 1.89% 6.81%
Terraced £821 £810 1.36% 6.76%
Semi-detached £920 £905 1.66% 7.10%
Detached £1,158 £1,143 1.31% 8.43%

 

Region Average Rent Q1 2022 Change since Q4 2021 (£) Change since Q4 2021 (%) Change since Q1 2021
UK £849 £15 1.80% 6.13%
London £1,415 £34 2.46% 6.79%
South East £980 £19 1.98% 5.15%
South West £833 -£1 -0.12% 5.44%
East £894 £11 1.25% 5.67%
East Midlands £656 £16 2.50% 7.19%
West Midlands £696 £11 1.61% 7.57%
Yorkshire £580 -£2 -0.34% 5.65%
North West £656 £11 1.71% 4.29%
North East £565 £11 1.99% 1.44%
Scotland £675 £18 2.74% 4.01%
Wales £652 £11 1.72% 6.89%
Northern Ireland £581 £10 1.75% 3.94%

 

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One Comment

  1. Woodentop

    Survey results that suggest that a proportion of tenants are overpaying to secure a property
     
    We are more often today being faced with tenants willing to pay anything for a roof, even if its not the home they want. Referencing is showing a greater number of failed applications to hiked up rents by landlords.  
     
    Pitty the article doesn’t show the % of tenants now left behind.
     
    Wait till the winter bills kick-in, then we shall start to see another side of this story when the increases in rents for many become unsustainable and they will blame the tenants for arrears. Nothing wrong with rent increase but you must match the tenant.

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