ARLA calls for action after rental demand rises

The Association for Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) has called for urgent action after finding there are still more tenants than there are homes, rman.co.uk reports.

ARLA quizzed its member agents on supply and demand, finding that 58 per cent of them thought there was a property deficiency - meaning there isn't enough to go around.

The total is an increase on figures recorded last year, which found that just 55 per cent of agents thought there was a lack of rental properties.

Elsewhere in the study, ARLA found that the number of "accidental landlords" had seen a slight decline, with many home-owners now looking to sell their properties as opposed to rent - despite the strong market. Thirty-five per cent of those surveyed reported an increase in these landlords entering the market, compared to 47 per cent which said so last year.

Speaking to lettingagenttoday.co.uk of the results, ARLA president Jane Ingram explained: "Our members are telling us that in much of the country there is still significant demand for rental property, especially from would-be first-time buyers, who simply can't afford to get on to the housing ladder.

"Urgent action needs to be taken to ensure everyone who needs a home can find one, at an affordable price."

Posted 19-07-2012
Author: David Howells