10th
Aug 2023
It is a given there isn’t a single landlord who has not had to face ever rising costs over the past year, however two out five private renters have not had rent increases this year and even Generation Rent admits to this.
The activist funded charity says it surveyed 1,021 private renters (supporters) in June and July so results may be seen as ‘slightly’ skewed.
Findings from GR’s survey showed that 60 per cent of respondents have had a rent increase this year, whereas it was 45 per cent in 2022.
Around 20 per cent said they had to pay more than £100 extra rent per month, but 15 per cent managed to negotiate the figure down whilst 10 per cent decided to move ‘home’.
There was a question in the survey asking whether the agent or landlord had given a reason for the higher rent with 12 per cent claiming it was solely down to higher mortgage payments and 17 per cent said it was because of higher market rents.
The charity claims it has studied UK Finance and Bank of England figures and says from its findings suggests that 14 per cent of private tenancies will have to face unaffordable rent increases and not solely because of the mortgage rates.
Generation Rent says this “means that interest rates are less of a factor in setting rents than wider market forces.”
However as to how it reached its conclusion the charity has failed to give any details. It also claims supporters have continually complained to them about group viewings, having to pay ‘multiple’ months’ rent as a deposit and alleged bidding wars.
Generation Rent chief executive Ben Twomey, says: “While many mortgage holders have yet to see their monthly payments increase, most private renters have already faced a rent hike this past year.
“So far only a minority of landlords have been affected so badly by rising rates that they are passing them on to tenants. But the rising cost of rent is a much wider problem caused by the failure to build enough homes where people want to live, and the ability of landlords to raise rents regardless of what their tenant can afford.
“The government’s response to this needs to put tenants first: prevent unaffordable rent increases, and protect tenants in their homes if their landlord needs to sell.
“Tenants relying on benefits need their housing support raised to cover what rents actually cost, and, to meet demand, we need a massive programme of building, particularly of social housing.”
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