Where is the Canary Wharf rental market heading in 2017?

The PRS (Private Rental Sector) in the UK has grown considerably in both size and importance over the last five years and is now worth a staggering £1.29 trillion. To contextualise, that is 1.29 million stacks of pound coins, with each stack being a million coins high!

The PRS now makes up 18% of the housing stock in England alone and is expected to rise to more than a third by 2032. Because of this rampant growth, it is no surprise to see that 56.1% of homes in E14 are privately rented, which is encouraging for private landlords and would-be investors. Even homeowners have something to think about, as they may be tempted to turn the family home into a source of income, or indeed use their pension pot to become a landlord.

A decade ago, buying a home was a very different experience. Post credit-crunch the landscape in E14 has changed, with many younger people unable to buy their own homes due to house price growth outpacing wages. This has made it both logical and practical for many people to rent, choosing between renting privately or using the options available from the local housing association. 10 years ago, of the 12,080 households in E14, around 6,720 were owner-occupied. Today the number of households in E14 has risen to 22,410, with the number of owner-occupied properties rising to 8,540. In 2001, only 5,060 properties were rented by private tenants compared to 2011’s figure of 12,570— an increase of 148.3%.

Long gone are the days when tenants viewed rented accommodation as a stopgap; today many renters are in it for the long haul, often taking initial two-year contracts and sometimes staying for up to five years or longer. While this is ultimately good news for private landlords wanting to minimise void periods, it also means that tenants have higher expectations and are more discerning about their rented homes. They are inclined to pay that little bit extra to get exactly what they desire from a home, and landlords will need to ensure their properties are in the best condition possible if they are going to maximise their return.

There is certainly a benefit for landlords who run their property portfolios as a business; the attention to detail that comes from this approach will help mitigate the expected refurbishment losses from reduced tax relief in the years ahead. The reduction in tax relief from 45% to 20% will affect buy-to-let landlord investors over the next few years and probably put some people off becoming landlords. However, the ones who are savvy and make the most informed decisions will continue to prosper in the PRS.

Looking ahead, I expect the recent changes to stamp duty on second homes to create a small increase in the proportion of owner-occupiers relative to the PRS. But the sky-high level of demand for houses in E14 means the capital value of properties is set to remain strong. If you are interested in purchasing your first, second or umpteenth buy-to-let, please visit my office for a friendly chat so I can give you the inside track and lowdown on being a landlord in E14 today.

Do you own a property in an E or SE postcode? You can now get a FREE and INSTANT rental and sales valuation by simply entering a few details HERE It is also a cool tool to use if you are looking at renting or buying a property and want a second opinion as to its value.