Demand for rental properties remains high, NLA insists

The demand for rental properties remains high across the UK property market, according to the National Landlords Association (NLA).

Steven Hilton, the NLA's media relations manager, said that demand remained high because it was increasingly difficult for consumers to get hold of mortgage finance.

"Another off-shoot of this lack of finance is that a large number of accidental landlords are now entering the market because they cannot sell their homes," he said.

Mr Hilton said that this could lead to problems because inexperienced landlords, who take a short-term view to letting their property, could find themselves out of their depth.

The October 2008 Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) residential lettings survey revealed that growth in new rental instructions had outpaced growth in tenant demand.

It also showed that rents fell for the first time since April 2003, while rental expectations fell to their lowest levels on record as the number of houses for rent increased.

UK Property News posted on 19/11/2008 16:39:16