Landlord & Buy-to-Let Magazine | Page 6

For latest show news visit www.landlordshow.info industry news Urban markets fuel 7.9% growth in Scottish rents Scotland’s urban Private Rented Sector shows little sign of levelling off, according to the latest quarterly report from Citylets, one of Scotland’s leading lettings sites. Figures to the end of December 2014 show that national rents have risen 7.9% in the last year to stand at an average of £732 per month. This contrasts with just 1% growth in the preceding year. The Scotland figure is heavily influenced by strong annual rises in three of the country’s main cities of Edinburgh (9.5%), Glasgow (9.4%) and Aberdeen (8%). Dundee registered a rise of 3.2% over the year. The 4th quarter of the year (Oct–Dec) is usually the quietest time for lettings activity, where seasonal falls are common. However this year’s dip in average national rents barely registered, at just £4 down from the country’s alltime high of £736 seen in Q3 of 2014. There is widespread concern that the private rental market in Scotland is experiencing severe and chronic localised shortages in supply. The oil city of Aberdeen has long been documented as an area of