Rent stabilisation measures and London market

October 2, 2015

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has  submitted written views to the London Assembly Housing Committee investigation into the impact that rent stabilisation measures would have on London’s housing market.

ARLA has comprehensively replied to a total of 9  questions which can be seen by visiting their website: http://www.arla.co.uk/news/october-2015/arla-respond-to-rent-stabilisation-measures/

Commenting, David Cox, Managing Director of ARLA, reportedly said: “Fundamentally ARLA is not in favour of introducing rent stabilisation measures in London.  In March we surveyed our members and nearly three quarters of them said that rent control, longer tenancies and less freedom to evict tenants will not benefit tenants in reality.

“We’ve looked at Germany which is often viewed as one of the best examples of rent stabilisation in the world, but there are large costs involved for tenants as most properties are let bare without a kitchen or bathroom. In addition, in Belgium they have longer minimum tenancies lasting between three to five years which simply wouldn’t work in London where the fluidity of people coming and going for short periods is a common occurrence.

“The challenge in London remains to find new, imaginative and additional ways of delivering good homes in safe and friendly neighbourhoods for prices people can afford. We think that the stamp duty raised from London property sales should be kept in London to invest in more housing and we would like to see the London Rental Standard become mandatory across the Private Rented Sector.”

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

Hertfordshire emerges as strongest performing London commuter county

New research from UK Property Development reveals that while London property prices fell by more than -3% in the past year, prices in some of the capital’s surrounding counties have enjoyed positive growth, none more so than the premium commuter county of Hertfordshire.   In the past year, London’s average house price has fallen by…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Second homes losing appeal among the rich

New Survey Reveals Ongoing Maintenance Is the Biggest Barrier to Second Home Ownership   62% say upkeep and hassle would stop them from buying a second home, even if money were no object   A new survey conducted by luxury co-ownership platform Equity Residences has revealed that the practical realities of owning a second home…
Read More →
Letting Agent Talk

How to build a property portfolio with buy-to-let mortgages

One of the reasons property is such a popular asset choice for investors is that you don’t need to invest all the money yourself; you can leverage funds from the bank. Here’s a very simplistic example of how borrowing via a buy-to-let (BTL) mortgage allows you to multiply your returns versus owning a property all-cash:…
Read More →
Home and Living

2026’s Fastest-Growing Bathroom Trend Is the Wet Room

“Wet rooms have become one of the standout bathroom upgrades of 2026, moving from luxury extra to everyday renovation choice as more homeowners prioritise space, style and easy cleaning. The momentum is only building as spa‑style bathrooms stay in demand.” “Wet rooms used to be a niche request,” says Ant Langston, Marketing Manager at Heat…
Read More →
Home and Living

Homebuyers could cut energy bills by £400 a year

As the energy price cap keeps rising, the latest research from Yopa reveals that buying a new-build home could save homebuyers as much as £450 a year on their energy bills. With the energy price cap forecast to increase again over the coming year, many households are preparing for further pressure on their finances as…
Read More →
Breaking News

Zoopla House Price Index Reaction

The latest index from Zoopla shows that: – First-time buyers are targeting homes worth £10,000 more than a year ago, with average prices up 4.3% to £254,750 – nearly 3x the rate of UK house price growth There are 6% fewer first time buyers in the market than this time last year, but those that…
Read More →