With Easter just
gone and considering we are a quarter of the way through 2015, I was talking to
landlord from Harlaxton the other day about what is happening to the level of
rents that are being achieved in the Grantham property market.
In terms of rents in Grantham, it appears that rents being achieved for new rentals (ie
when the tenant moves out and new tenant moves in) have risen in the order of 3%
in the last 12 months on top of the range modern properties,
yet remained static for older Victorian terraced houses and converted
apartments. However, landlords with existing sitting tenants, irrespective of
age are not increasing their rents, as most landlords prefer to keep their
existing tenant paying the same rent and have the peace of mind that their
tenant remains, paying the rent (thus reducing the risk of a void period).
It must be remembered
rents dropped by 7.7% over 2008/9, due to oversupply in the rental market in
2009.) A lot of the people who couldn’t sell their property in Grantham in
2008/9 when the Credit Crunch hit in 2008, decided to let their house out
instead of selling at a loss. In fact, the number of houses on the market in Grantham
dropped by 52.5% between November 2007 and October 2010, a lot of which came on
to the rental market in Grantham. However, looking at the longer term though,
tenants have had it good because since
the turn of the Millennium, average wages have grown by 46%, but rents outside
London have only grown by 36% rental growth over this period.
I told the landlord
that there is a lack of new rental properties in Grantham coming on the market,
in fact according to the Office of National Statistics, there are only 13 new
rental properties are coming to the market each month in Grantham but the
population of Grantham is rising by 17 people a month – something will have to
give soon! This is compounded by the fact a number of landlords are looking to
sell their rental properties in the coming months, as the property market in Grantham
has improved. This further compounded as tenants in existing rental properties
appear to be staying in properties for longer periods of time.
Looking at the rents charged in Grantham, historic evidence
in the UK suggests private market rents have moved in line with general
inflation. Government figures only go back as far as the year 2000, but looking
at other countries with similar housing markets (America, Australia, Ireland
and Holland) the fact is rents paid by tenants tend to rise in line or just
ahead of inflation.
As short term wage growth in Grantham has eased off
recently, rising by only 1.3% in the last 12 months, taking average salaries in
Grantham to £26,541pa, with the tax breaks announced by The Chancellor in the
Budget, I believe, even though rents have kept pace with inflation in the past,
renting as an option has become more affordable, and is increasingly seen as a
lifestyle choice. With returning economic growth and expected increases in the
rate of growth of wages, above inflation rental growth could rise.
If you want a chat about the local Grantham property market,
email me on christopher@christopherwatkin.co.uk
