Renting - what do you think about it?
Despite all the bad press that renting often seems to attract, most people are happy with their rented home and have no complaints about their landlord. This is the good news for the rented sector from the latest English Housing Survey Private rented sector report, published yesterday. Private rentals are the second biggest housing sector in England. The government estimates the PRS at 4.5 million households compared to 14.8 million owner occupiers, with about one in five households in England renting their home.
Most renters are happy in their homes says the latest English Housing Survey. According to the survey, the vast majority (84%) of private renters say they are 'satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their current accommodation, though satisfaction levels are higher among owner-occupiers (95%). Private renters are also less happy with their tenure, at 69%, compared with 98% of owner-occupiers. In a country where owning your own home is a key aspiration for most people, this is not unexpected. Compared with social renters and owner-occupiers, private renters spend the most money on housing.
On average, they spend a third of their household income on rent. And there are no surprises in the fact that Londoners spent more on rent than people living outside the Capital. What is more unexpected is that despite the often high cost of renting in comparison to paying a mortgage – and the number of renters who receive Housing Benefit - the majority of people polled said they found it 'easy' or 'very easy' to pay their rent. And despite the difficulties of getting onto the house-buying ladder, more than half of private renters thought they would eventually buy a home - even though a sizeable proportion freely admit they have no savings. Younger renters were more likely to think they would eventually become home owners. But without any clear idea of how this might happen, this sounds more like the optimism of youth, rather than a sign of increasing affordability in the housing market!
Planetrent Properties
Under Offer: This term applies to a property where the landlord is considering an offer but remains on the market. It implies that further offers may still be considered until the landlord formally accepts or declines the current offer.
Let Agreed: This term indicates that a landlord has provisionally agreed to enter into a rental agreement with a prospective tenant, pending additional checks and referencing. It doesn't require the prospective tenant to have paid a holding deposit.
Let: This term signifies an established binding rental agreement between the landlord and tenant.
For both lettings and sales, the guidance addresses additional terms:
New On The Market: This term is used for a property not advertised since its last sale or rental. It should only be used for a brief period.
New Instruction: It applies to a property assigned to an agent for marketing recently, even if it was previously listed with another agent without being sold or rented.
New and Exclusive: This term refers to a property that is either new on the market or a new instruction, exclusively available through a specific agent or portal.
New Method of Sale/Let: This term is used when a property is being marketed for sale or rent using an alternative approach to the original advertisement, such as transitioning to an auction or sealed bid.
Reduced: This term indicates that a property's price has recently been reduced. The reduction should be genuine and comply with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute's guidelines on pricing practices.