According to recent research by the TDS Charitable Foundation, more than a third of landlords in England who raised rents did so to keep pace with local market rates as the rental market continues to be strained by a housing shortage. The report found that 60% of landlords raised the rent on at least one of their properties over the past year.
Key reasons for rent increases include:
- Rising costs and fees such as maintenance and repairs, cited by 45% of landlords.
- 38% of landlords raised rents to match local market rates, where demand for rental properties remains high.
This trend aligns with data from the Office for National Statistics, which reported that private rents across the UK rose by 8.6% in the year leading up to July, driven by continued strong demand and limited housing supply. Renters are increasingly feeling the pressure of these rising costs as housing availability tightens.
What is not mentioned here is a comparison with the social sector, where most tenancies are subject to annual indexing, so likely that all social housing providers have raised rents for at least 80% of their tenants.