Clapham Flats & Houses For Sale & Rent

Buy to Let Property Surge As Landlords Snap Up Bargain Rental Prospects

2012-01-11T10:10:00.001Z

Reports in last weekend’s Financial Times have highlighted the surge in new buy-to-let purchases,with many areas in London likely to be the first to benefit, according to property search consultant Expatfindaproperty.com.

According to the Financial Times report, landlords are taking advantage of weaker house prices to snap up bargain rental prospects in premier locations. While some are cash purchasers, others are using cheap borrowing costs to expand their portfolios.

Expatfindaproperty.com’s own research suggests that rental yields in many parts of London, in particular, are starting to rise steeply, following many years of static, or only gently-rising, prices. In particular, demand for rental homes near to prime commuting transport links, such as those in the Clapham, Earlsfield, Wimbledon and Raynes Park areas of South West London, has seen agents arranging block viewings, with would-be tenants forced to bid against each other to secure a property.

Emboldened by the strength of the demand, says Expatfindaproperty, agents and landlords are now pushing rents higher, which means that new landlords can expect enhanced returns, as well as realistic prospects of capital growth, when capital prices eventually start to recover. Prospective tenants, however, will find this news less welcome.

Erica Evans, of Expatfindaproperty.com, comments, “Our straw poll of agents in South West London has revealed high levels of optimism for landlords. For those thinking of entering the market from abroad, providing they have a 30% deposit for an expatriate or international mortgage, now is an excellent time to be looking at the market, but location is absolutely critical.

“Strong rental yields are only available in quite specific areas around commuter infrastructure hotspots.”

Landlord and tenant news: Could 2012 be the year of the accidental landlord?

2012-01-03T13:39:00.000Z

The new year could bring the kind of market that many accidental landlords have been waiting for.

With home values estimated to rise further in 2012, Alan Ward, chairman at the Residential Landlords Association (RLA), believes that the time to sell up as originally planned will have finally come.

An accidental landlord is someone who has opted to rent out their existing home when looking to move because trying to sell it would hold back their journey up the property ladder (officially termed let-to-buy in the mortgage industry).

"There is a sector of the market that is likely to come to sell as property values begin to increase - these are the accidental landlords who have been forced to rent because they can't sell for whatever reason," he said."Some people say there are 100,000 properties in that sector and, if that comes back on the market, then that is quite a big change."

The Association of Residential Lettings Agents recently advised anyone considering a move into the rental market to consider the benefits of using a professional letting agent.

Landlord and Tenant News

Rent Rises Predicted By Landlord Panel Research

2011-12-12T12:41:00.001Z

Increased demand and the rising cost of maintaining property mean private tenants in the UK are likely to face a rise in rental rates this winter, it is claimed.

One in five of landlords also claim their arrears have increased compared with the previous quarter, according to BDRC Continental’s quarterly Landlords Panel research.

It found that almost half, 45%, have increased rents in the last 12 months, while over a third, 34%, said they are likely to do so in the next six months. Landlords cite the strength of demand and the increased cost of running a property portfolio as the main drivers for rent rises.

Young couples, singles and Local Housing Allowance (LHA) claimants are the groups potentially most likely to be hit by rent rises in the private rental sector. When asked which groups of tenant they let to, landlords indicated that young couples and young singles account for the greatest proportion of their tenants, while LHA could also likely to be affected, as 37% of landlords cater for this segment of the market.

The potential rent rises are predicted at a time when almost half of landlords have experienced rental arrears in the last three months and almost three quarters, 72%, of those who have sought possession of their rental property were driven to do so by rent arrears. Other reasons for seeking possession include anti social behaviour, which contributed to nearly half of possessions.

However, one third of landlords have never sought possession of their rental property and landlords wait an average of almost four months to obtain possession and pay £866 in legal fees alone.

Government Housing Strategy Welcomed By RICs

2011-11-25T08:28:00.001Z

RICS welcomes the Government’s Housing Strategy and hopes that the proposals can go some way to boosting the stagnant housing market. Given its central role in driving economic growth, it is right that housing is now at the top of the political agenda.
"Better access to mortgage finance is essential to bring forward the new homes needed to help more achieve their aspiration of home ownership, particularly first-time buyers. The New Build Indemnity Scheme is to be welcomed but care must be taken to ensure it does not distort the market or lenders affordability calculations.

"The focus on new build will not free up chains and may reduce demand for second hand property, putting those who wish to move but have little equity at a disadvantage. Whilst any attempt to stimulate supply and demand will help both consumers and developers, limiting funding to niche areas of the market in this way does not solve the wider need for adequate levels of funding in all parts of the market. Any new scheme must be clear and easy to understand for the consumer.

"Small to medium-sized developers will particularly welcome the Get Britain Building Investment Fund and the recognition of the key role housebuilders will play in driving much-needed economic growth. Further steps to free up public land for developers are encouraging but care must be taken that the land is in the right place with the right infrastructure. Projects must be properly analysed for viability otherwise developers run the risk of creating ‘white elephants’ that do not satisfy demand.

"Whilst a renewed focus bringing investment into the private rented sector is encouraging, an opportunity has been missed to begin delivering real consumer protection and professionalism right across this rapidly growing sector. RICS is keen to work with other industry bodies to develop these proposals.

"This is a good start from the Government but more detail is needed. RICS looks forward to continuing engagement with the Government and the sector to deliver a sustainable housing market that delivers aspirations across all sections of the market, benefiting UK PLC as a whole."

London Property Market News: London leads the way for UK property

2011-11-10T15:43:00.001Z

London is the city that leads the way with property prices, says one mortgage expert.Catherine Hearnden, director of brokerage site MyMortgageDirect.co.uk, said that when property values in the nation's capital change, the rest of the country tends to follow suit.

"I think it is wise to look at London as a guide to what is going to happen," she commented.However, she stressed that the future remains unclear and much depends on availability of employment and interest rates.

She added that mortgage lending is also improving, with banks and building societies now offering affordability multiples that are as good as they have "been for ages".
Her comments come in the same week, Nationwide announced that house prices increased by 0.4 per cent in October and are now 0.8 per cent higher than they were in the same month in 2010.

The average UK house value now stands at £165,650, although London properties are in most cases significantly higher.

Despite this, David Warren, senior sales negotiator at Paramount, stated that the market has changed slightly in the past few years and the capital maybe does not have the same bearing nationally as it once did.

“I do think that the capital generally guides the rest of the UK property market but it doesn’t seem to have been the same over the last couple of years," he said.
"Whilst we have seen busy periods since 2009 and a shortage of stock which has meant prices have risen by 20 per cent, it doesn’t seem to be the same across the markets outside London.

"I think this is due to the amount of cash in London, we are finding that at least 50 per cent of our transactions are being agreed to cash buyers and a large proportion of these buyers are parents from the UK, mainland Europe and Asia.

"People think London is a safe market. Where buyers outside London tend to be buying more traditionally with a mortgage, finding the deposit for these is hard in these tough times”.

London Property Market News

London Residential Property Prices Grow by 13.6%

2011-10-28T11:03:00.001+01:00

Prime residential property in central London has shown strong price growth over the past year of 13.6% but the rate of growth slowed to just 1.1% in the third quarter, a new report shows.

The analysis from Savills also shows that prices rose by an average of just 1.1% over the three months to the end of September compared to 6.4% from January to June.

There is continuing demand from overseas buyers looking for a global safe haven investment and some 58% of buyers were foreign nationals, with over one in five buying for investment. Less than half of buyers were acquiring property for use as their main residence and British buyers accounted for less than half of all purchases.

Those prime markets dominated by domestic demand have generally shown lower levels of price growth. But all prime London remains relatively buoyant compared to the mainstream UK market.

Within prime South West London, values rose by 1.3% in the quarter, taking annual price growth to 7.1%. This continued price growth has been underpinned by low levels of available stock. Those households selling prime family homes in the area are tending to recycle their housing wealth locally rather than make a move into the commuter belt.

The relative strength of the sub-markets is also seen in the sale price asking price ratio. In both central London and the prime markets of North London, including Hampstead and Islington, sale prices averaged 1% to 2% above asking price in the three months to the end of September.

By contrast, in South West London and the prime East of City markets they were 5% and 6% below asking price respectively.

The prime markets of Wapping and Canary Wharf have generally seen the least strong recovery since the downturn, although prices are 1.7% above their 2007 peak, with year to date growth of 4%. These areas have seen reduced levels of owner occupier demand from those employed in the financial and business services sector, but this has presented investment opportunities which have attracted overseas interest.

Affordable Housing In London

2011-10-25T12:17:00.001+01:00

Affordable housing in London isn't as difficult to find as many people believe.
A number of new houses and apartments have been built in the city of late that offer a comfortable solution to first time buyers without breaking the bank.

With rising property prices and a lack of high LTV mortgages available, it's no surprise that the age of the average first time property buyer has shot up to 37.
But a new developments in Croydon and Hackbridge could be just the tonic for young people with ownership aspirations.

Builder Taylor Wimpey has started a scheme that allows buyers to purchase one of their own new build apartments with a deposit of as little as £8,500.

The scheme, entitled "FirstBuy", is backed by the government and incorporates a loan of 20 per cent from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) and Taylor Wimpey – which is to be repaid at the end of the mortgage term.

However, first time buyers may want to consider the few options for 95 per cent mortgages out there. At present Skipton Building Society, Yorkshire Bank and Clydesdale all offer products with just a five per cent deposit.

London Property Market News

Residential Lettings News; Family Homes In Demand

2011-10-21T15:21:00.000+01:00

Flats in the UK have often been regarded as the bread and butter of the letting industry but now it is being suggested that family houses are much in demand in some areas and provide better returns.

With a booming lettings market in the UK, the residential sector is once again attracting investors’ cash. This is particularly prominent with foreign investors who see the UK’s AAA credit rating as being especially attractive and the UK Government’s policies seen as more robust and safer in the long term than many other developed economies.

‘As we see the lettings market continuing to expand in the Home Counties the demand for more family sized properties is rapidly increasing. The UK is a safe place to invest and with the continuing uncertainty in global stock markets, bricks and mortar are seen as a simple and reassuring investment,’ said James Wyatt, partner of Surrey based letting agents, Barton Wyatt.

However, as with all investments, detailed knowledge of the market you are investing in is essential. The lettings market in the so called golden commuter belt to the West of London in areas such as Virginia Water, Wentworth, Sunningdale, Weybridge, Esher and Cobham are unusual in that they offer expensive and good quality housing in attractive areas which are serviced by several international schools including The American Community School (ACS) in Egham and Cobham, TASIS in Thorpe and ISL in Woking.

This environment has led to demand for lettings properties being skewed very much in favour of four and five bedroom family houses, according to Wyatt. Typically in London and most cities around the country, it is one or two bedroom flats that are the main stay of the lettings market but in these international areas, it is definitely family homes which are in very short supply.

London Residential Lettings Property Maintenance Services

2011-10-11T12:45:00.000+01:00

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London Estate Agents Shortlisted for International Property Award

2011-10-06T10:47:00.000+01:00

Leading estate agents from across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom have been notified that they have become shortlisted in the region’s most prestigious property competition in association with Google and Bloomberg Television. Paramount Lettings Limited is delighted to learn that it is one of the finalists that may win a highly commended or five-star award.

The gala awards presentation will take place on October 28th at the London Lancaster hotel near Hyde Park. The event is part of the International Property Awards, which is now in its 17th year and has become recognised as the highest standard of excellence throughout the global industry. Attaining one of these coveted awards is evidence that Paramount Lettings Limited is capable of excelling over some very strong contenders within the highly competitive UK property arena.

Later this year, the highest scoring winners from the UK Property Awards will compete against other winning companies from Asia Pacific, Africa, Arabia, the Americas and Europe to determine the ultimate World’s Best in each category.

The judging panel consists of more than 80 professionals whose collective knowledge of the property industry is unsurpassed by any other property awards. This year’s judges include James Bacon, UK account manager of Google; Peter Bolton King, group chief executive of the National Federation of Property professionals; David Dalby of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS); and Mike McNamara of the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS).

Spencer Lawrence, Lettings Director of Paramount Lettings Limited said of the award, “We are very proud to be short listed for this prestigious award; I believe this is testament to our work ethic and our commitment to providing exceptional customer service.”

SW2 Residential and Commercial Property for Sale

2011-09-30T17:16:00.000+01:00

Commercial, Retail and Residential Property for Sale Brixton/ Clapham

Brixton
Acre Lane
Brixton
Greater London
SW2
£ 1,400,000
Freehold

This investment is located on Acre Lane at its junction with Ballater Road and is equidistant from both funky Brixton and cool Clapham.

Clapham High Street is a short walk away offering numerous shops, bars and restaurants.

Transport links can be found at Brixton and Clapham North underground and mainline stations providing easy access to The City and West End (Northern & Victoria lines zone 2)

The property comprises an unbroken parade of 3 x retail units over basement and ground floors, with separately accessed residential upper parts ranging from studio apartments to 4-bedroom split level maisonettes, plus an additional 1 bedroom house.

The current annual income is approximately £141,000

Shops and Uppers Investment Property for Sale

Home Energy Efficiency Ratings increase in Last Quarter

2011-09-23T14:04:00.000+01:00

Owners of property in need of restoration might agree that making changes to their home's energy efficiency levels would be hard.

Gordon Miller, sustainability and communications director of Sustain Worldwide, believes this is the challenge that retrofitting faces.

"The complexity of understanding how to make one's home energy efficient; uncertainty about the efficiency of the materials and technologies and who you can trust to install them for you; the cost of, say, solid wall insulation is a deterrent to uptake; and general apathy - many people simply aren't interested in saving money through energy efficiency and reducing their home's carbon impact," he explained.

In order to encourage more people to make green improvements to their properties, their "trigger point" will have to be found.

This could be showing them the financial benefits of energy efficiency, reduction of CO2 emissions and saving the planet, "or wanting to leave a better world for their children", Mr Miller added.

His comments come after research from the Department for Communities and Local Government revealed average energy efficiency ratings have increased from 80.2 to 81.7 for homes in England between the fourth quarter of 2009 and the same three-month period last year.

Building & Construction News

London Property Asking Prices Rise in September

2011-09-21T11:36:00.001+01:00

Buying a property in London is going to cost more since the start of September, when asking prices rose more than 2%. According to Rightmove Plc, property prices in London fell during the month of July by 3.4%, but fewer properties now on the market have caused a move in prices in the other direction. Other figures from Rightmove indicated home prices on a national level increased 0.7%, after a decrease of more than 2% in August.

The demand for property in London continues to be from the big time players who are looking for investments, while the European financial issues continue to make it easy on them to scoop up overseas properties. Problems at home including consumer confidence and out of reach deposit amounts are preventing local Brits from enjoying the same opportunities.

Miles Shipside, commercial director of Rightmove, commented on the London market and the opportunities which are available there, saying: “London's buoyant property market looks set for a brisk autumn as buyers chase a more limited choice of fresh properties. With the continuing turmoil in the financial markets, and the threat of a Greek default, we are seeing a flight to safe assets.”

More than 50% of the England and Wales regions experienced declines in September, as home prices fell by more than 2.5% in each.

The number of homes being place on the market for sale dropped 12% compared with the same time last year.

Rightmove commented on the response the London market will have with fewer properties available, saying: “This is a significant reduction in supply that will maintain the upwards pressure on pricing in the capital if it continues.”

London Prospectives Renters are Failing Credit Checks

2011-09-17T13:01:00.000+01:00

Rising numbers of tenants in London are failing to pass their reference checks because they do not met the salary requirements being demanded as rents soar, reports the RLA.

Instead, they are having to use guarantors who do pass the checks or put down up to a year’s rent.

Most credit referencing companies now insist that a prospective tenant earns around 30 times the monthly rent, or two-and-a-half to three times the annual rent. A tenant’s savings are not taken into account.

Rents have risen by as much as 20% in parts of London, according to agents Ludlow Thompson.

Lynn Hilton, partner for residential lettings at Cluttons agents, said that one in five tenants is now failing a credit referencing test. Four years ago, fewer than one in 20 failed.

Of those who fail, around half are opting to fork out a bigger deposit instead – up to a year’s rent upfront – or produce a rent guarantor whose financial ability satisfies the referencing firm.

The problem of tenants failing the checks is even catching wealthier individuals because, for example, they do not have assets listed in this country for tax reasons, or while they have savings, they do not have jobs.

London Rental Property News: Property 'the asset people most want to pass down'

2011-09-08T09:00:00.001+01:00

Parents living in the capital city appear to want their children to have the option to have London property to rent.

New research by LV= has revealed that property is the asset parents most want to be able to pass on to their children. This was narrowly followed by money.

The survey also found that 25 per cent of people in Britain do not expect to receive any financial inheritance, while 42 per cent are not banking on inheritance to help bolster their financial situation.

John Perks, managing director of Retirement Solutions at the insurance firm, said: "This research highlights a disparity between the number of Brits who are planning to leave some kind of financial asset behind for their family and those who believe there will anything left for them to inherit - this suggests that many may be pleasantly surprised."

However, he warned that it is important for people planning to leave inheritance to seek expert advice on the relevant financial products that can help, while making a will "as early as possible".

London Rental Property News

London Landlords; Annual Returns of 5 Times National Average

2011-06-21T18:02:00.000+01:00

Landlords with property to rent in London are set to benefit financially as rents rise.

According to data from LSL Property Services, rents rose to a record high in May, having increased by 0.5 per cent to an average of £696.

London landlords are particularly well-placed to benefit as they could well see total annual returns of nearly five times the national average as demand for London property to rent steadily increases.

John Heron, managing director at buy to let lending specialist Paragon Mortgages, commented: "The rising rent costs reported give an indication of the continued lack of properties in the buy to let sector due to the constrained finances of professional landlords.

"There are a number of products available for smaller scale landlords, with only one or two properties, but for the professional landlord with a large portfolio there is limited finance available," he noted.

Mr Heron called for more UK mortgage lending options to be made available to professional landlords, as this will be needed to drive growth in the sector.

London Property to Rent

First Time Buyers Little Hope for Increased Lending

2011-06-05T10:09:00.001+01:00

First time property buyers still face problems in securing UK mortgage offers and there is little to suggest lending will increase this year.

This is the view of Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at John Charcol, who was surprised that the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) increased the forecast for gross lending from £136 billion to £140 billion this year.

However, he was unsurprised by the organisation's net UK mortgage lending prediction."I think the [CML] forecast of an increase in net lending from £6 billion to £9 billion [in 2011] makes good sense. But frankly I am surprised that they forecast net lending to fall as low as £6 billion in the first place," he commented.

"The wholesale markets are beginning to recover, albeit still fairly slowly."
The CML also predicted gross mortgage lending will rise to £150 billion next year, which could help more first time buyers secure finance to purchase a home.

Mortgage Rate & Home Loan News

Guide to Tenancy Deposits, Disputes and Damages

2011-05-29T16:46:00.000+01:00

The three tenancy deposit protection schemes have worked jointly to produce a new ‘Guide to Tenancy Deposits, Disputes and Damages’, reports the RLA.

This is the first time the schemes have worked together to publish educational information which is aimed at landlords, agents and tenants alike.

Since 2007, some 47,000 disputes have been settled by the schemes’ alternative dispute resolution processes.

The pooling of information on these disputes and their eventual outcomes has allowed the schemes to identify common issues and to work together to publish collective guidelines.

The guide covers topics such as the collation of evidence and what an adjudicator looks for when considering a dispute, and outlines the principles on which scheme adjudicators make decisions so that the process is consistent and transparent for letting agent, landlord and tenant alike.

London Rental Investors Urged to Target Prime Adresses

2011-05-22T09:54:00.000+01:00

A property expert has urged those looking for flats and houses for sale in Hampstead, London, and other parts of the capital to invest in the best abode they can afford.Naomi Heaton, chief executive of London Central Portfolio, said: "Investors of any age buying property for rental investment are advised to target the most prime addresses that their budget affords. The old adage of location, location, location has never been more appropriate."

She noted that the "core tenant demographic" for rental investment properties is either single professionals or couples with professional jobs." In London Central, they will be wealthy in their own right, upwardly mobile in their careers and will be exacting in their requirements for property," Ms Heaton pointed out, so the homes they will lean towards should be immaculate and have good transport links to the tenants' place of work, such as the City and Canary Wharf.

London Estate Agents News

London High End Property Market

2011-04-22T13:20:00.000+01:00

High end property sales and rentals in London saw increased interest at the start of the year due to owners trying to avoid the new five per cent stamp duty, Knight Frank has stated.

Liam Bailey, head of residential research at the property market firm, commented that March saw some improvement in the housing market, with more people "forcing deals through" last month.

"There was no doubt that the winter was pretty weak - December, January and February were all fairly down on last year. The market has really been subdued from last summer, so it did have somewhere to grow and the market has been a little bit better over the last two months," he pointed out.

In addition, confidence about interest rates appears to have improved, Mr Bailey argued."The perception about two months ago was that rates would rise pretty rapidly and that hasn't been the case. If anything, there is the feeling that we might even escape a rate rise this year," he added.

Mr Bailey's comments follow research from the National Association of Estate Agents recording a surge in the level of demand for property across the country in March 2011.

London Property Market News

London Rental Property Values Rise by 11.6%

2011-04-18T15:33:00.003+01:00

Buy-to-let investors are facing increased competition in the rental market from homeowners who are choosing to rent their properties out rather than sell them.

The Association of Rental Lettings Agents (ARLA) produced figures showing that the rented property market experienced an increase in the number of higher value homes becoming available to let at the start of the year as the number of family-sized homes on the market increased amid the uncertain economic conditions gripping the nation.

The average capital value of rental houses shot up by 11.6% from £401,400 to £447,900, according to first quarter figures from the ARLA. The last time the market peaked at such levels in 2007, when the average capital value reached £442,600, there followed a sustained period of decline.

However, the trend is not a national one as the rise was as result of higher value properties going on the rental market in London and the South East. All the other regions experienced an average drop of 5.2%.

The Move Channel

Living in Clapham; Your Local Services

2011-04-01T16:49:00.000+01:00

When moving into an area there are a number of local services you need to know about. Below you can access local authority information and services; we have chosen the most frequently asked information. Just put in your postcode and find out information on;

Bin Collection, Council Tax, Parking Permits, Recycling centres,Electoral roll registration, School and Term Dates and your local councillor for your new area.

London Property News

Buy to Let Mortgages Increasingly Available to London Landlords

2011-03-30T13:53:00.001+01:00

Buy to let funding is becoming more widely available and this is contributing to more landlords being able to afford property Investment purchases.

This is the view of Chris Horne, editor at Property Hark, who said those who buy property to rent in London and other places have more of an advantage over other homebuyers.

"The good thing about landlords is that they can often take a slightly longer-term view. They can take a medium to long-term view on the property market [and] generally over time property prices will rise, [even though] they might dip in the immediate term," he pointed out.

Mr Horne's comments come after research from the Mortgage Works found half (51 per cent) of mortgage brokers believe the number of new landlords will rise in 2011.
The survey also found 56 per cent of brokers think that when a client buys his or her first buy to let property, they will remain open minded about future purchases.

Buy to Let Investment News

UK Mortgage News; 90% Mortgages for First Time Buyers

2011-03-11T11:46:00.000Z

First time property buyers could benefit from Northern Rock's 90 per cent loan to value mortgage product, according to Firstrung.

Paul Holmes, chief executive of the website, commented that the bank's announcement could lend a hand to those trying to get on the "fabled" first rung of the property ladder but warned that Northern Rock's UK mortgage lending criteria could be strict.

"The first-time buyer will have to have an impeccable work record, and just as equally, an impeccable credit score. It is only one part of the jigsaw," he explained.

However, coming as it does after the bank's near failure during the credit crunch, the announcement is making headlines.

"Northern Rock aren't doing anything that drastic, it is just that because it is Northern Rock, it has tended to be big news," Mr Holmes added.

The bank is set to lend 90 per cent LTV home loans at a rate of 5.99 per cent for two years with no product fee charge.

First Time Property Buyers News

Growth In Number of Buy to Let Mortgages

2011-03-03T19:05:00.001Z

The RLA reports that one of the country’s leading voices for landlords in the Private Rented Sector is calling for the Government to do more to support growth in the sector following the publication of the latest buy-to-let mortgage figures.

Commenting following the publication of the data from the Council for Mortgage Lenders, Alan Ward, Chairman of the Residential Landlords Association said:

“Growth in the number of buy-to-let mortgages should be welcomed as the country addresses its housing shortage, but the supply of properties is still falling far short of the increase in demand.

“In its third quarter report last year, Find a Property showed that the number of properties available to rent between June and September fell by 14.5%, with fewer rental properties available than at any time since July 2008.

“There is a housing crisis looming with a shortfall of half a million homes by the next election. With the private rented sector expected to take a greater role in providing housing to those unable to afford a mortgage, those languishing on social housing waiting lists and the homeless, the RLA is calling on the Chancellor to introduce a package of cost-neutral fiscal measures to stimulate growth in the sector.”