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The
1988 Housing Act
dramatically improved the landlord's position and enabled the rented sector
to recover strongly.
Demand
for rented property
has increased by 50% throughout the UK since 1988, and by more in the
Greater London area. Private rented property now represents 11% of the
housing stock, and is likely to grow to 15% or 20% in the next 20 years.
In 1997 the DTI forecast 4.4 million more homes would be required by the
year 2016. At 11% this would amount to half a million more rental properties
being required, or almost one million more, given a 20% market share.
This would still be well below other industrialised countries - Germany
has 41%, and France 33%
Demographic
and economic changes
such as shorter employment contracts, a need for greater mobility, and
division of the traditional family unit are all encouraging more people,
especially in the 20 to 35 age range, to rent rather than buy a property
of their own.
The Existing Supply
of good quality 1 and 2 bedroom rented property, in particular, is unable to meet the current demand.
This is pushing rent levels up, providing a healthy rate of return on carefully selected and
well-prepared investment properties (currently about 5% - 6% gross rental yield in Central London).

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Diversifying
away from higher-risk equity markets into residential property appeals to many investors nowadays.
For most, the modest returns from deposit and savings accounts are inadequate. A residential property
is a tangible asset - "an investment you can walk past" - in a market which most investors know and
understand. This gives a greater sense of control than leaving the responsibility for future
financial provision to an anonymous fund manager in the City.
Growth
n Prime Central London property totalled 34.5% in the year to June 2007, fuelled by demand
from overseas buyers and city bonuses. (source: Evening Standard July 2007).see Investment Appraisal.
Gearing up
(borrowing to buy) enables the investor to spread his/her own capital
over more properties and to multiply any capital appreciation by two
(@ 50% LTV) or four times (@ 75% LTV) achieving a more dramatic
return on his/her own funds.see Investment Appraisal.
Mortgages
are now available from most Buy-to-Let lenders at very competitive rates of interest (from 5.75%*),
making investment in UK residential property extremely viable. Furthermore, most financial
commentators expect UK interest rates to remain low, in the medium term,
as a result of a more stable macro-economic outlook. (*2yr. fixed rate via our mortgage advisor).
Future retirement pensions
can be augmented by the purchase of one or more investment properties. If funded correctly
these can be self-financing over the period of the loan, and thereafter provide a useful
supplement to retirement income.
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