Landlord & Buy-to-Let Magazine | Page 24

For latest show news visit www.landlordshow.info industry news Rents rose in January, survey reveals Rental figures from the January 2015 HomeLet Rental Index Region December 2014 Monthly variation January 2014 Annual variation East Midlands £617 £581 6.2% £572 7.9% Scotland £651 £616 5.7% £595 9.4% East Anglia £762 £726 5.0% £750 1.6% South West £830 £802 3.5% £750 10.2% Yorkshire & Humber New findings from the HomeLet Rental Index have revealed that the rental market has returned to growth in 2015, with the average rent on new tenancies signed in January 2.5 per cent higher than in the previous month. Nine out of twelve regions in the UK have seen prices rise, with only the North East of England, Northern Ireland and the West Midlands seeing a decline in rental prices. The HomeLet Rental Index figures for January 2015 reveal that after a period of seasonal adjustment towards the end of 2014, which saw rental prices falling in many parts of the country, the rental market has started 2015 with a return to growth. The average rent in the UK is now £889, compared to £867 at the end of 2014, and £799 in January 2014. The figures show the highest growth occurring in the East Midlands, Scotland and East Anglia with rents rising 6.2 per cent, 5.7 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. January 2015 £613 £594 3.2% £557 10.1% Greater London £1,425 £1,393 2.3% £1,257 13.4% Wales £586 £573 2.3% £580 1.0% North West £650 £645 0.8% £619 5.0% South East £873 £867 0.7% £838 4.2% Northern Ireland £556 £559 -0.5% £569 -2.3% West Midlands £635 £642 -1.1% £606 4.8% North East £518 £532 -2.6% £505 2.6% Overall UK average £889 £867 2.5% £799 11.2% UK excluding Greater London £707 £694 1.7% £673 5% Based on new tenancies in Jan 2015 Based on new tenancies in Dec 2014 Monthly growth Dec 2014– Jan 2015 Based on new tenancies in Jan 2014 Comparison of rent prices Jan 2014 to Jan 2015 Notes: source HomeLet New contender for property rental web leader In less than six months, internet property rental platform, Movebubble, has surpassed 1,000,000 property searches and has 30,000 community members, making it a new contender in the property rental space. “It is exciting to be leveraging technology and leading the ‘Proptech’ charge against bigger, more established players in the property rental space, and seeing traction! They should sit up and take notice of what is going on; we are about to shake up the status quo in UK rentals,” said Aidan Rushby, CEO of Movebubble. Movebubble helps renters, private landlords and agents build and showcase their rental reputations and connect directly with one another. It has just launched a new feature enabling landlords and agents to search for and connect with tenants looking in their area. According to the company, this new approach to property rentals puts the renter in control. Renters now don’t have to worry about searching for a new home, as rental properties will come to them. This helps the best renters get the best properties and gives the 22 Landlord & Buy-to-Let Issue 57 • March 2015 renter a much-needed and refreshing alternative to the crowded property listing websites that exist. Movebubble says this shows its dedication to championing the renter, and making renting more open and transparent. In a recent Censuswide survey, 92% of renters agreed they would like to see references from landlords. Movebubble enables users to rate one another, helping good users avoid bad users; much like Airbnb and Uber have done for short-term rentals and ordering taxis, respectively.