Landlords with properties in Central London have reported the highest levels of tenant demand across England and Wales, research undertaken on behalf of Paragon Bank has found.
Over nine in 10 landlords (94%) with properties in Central London reported strong levels of tenant demand, with the remaining 6% reporting levels as stable.
The research, covering the final quarter of 2022, suggests that the appeal of properties centrally located within the capital has been growing for some time since falling out of favour during the Covid pandemic. In the second quarter of 2020, increased tenant demand during the previous three months was seen by just 12% of Central London landlords but this figure has risen to 90% in Q4 2022, the highest of any region across England and Wales.
The survey of over 750 landlords, carried out by BVA BDRC, shows that the overall proportion of landlords reporting increased demand during the previous three months has remained at the record high level seen in Q3 2022. This is after 65% of landlords reported that demand has increased.
Other regions experiencing strong levels of tenant demand currently include the East of England and Wales, both with 92% strong demand, followed by the North East of England where nine in 10 (90%) landlords report that demand is strong.
Richard Rowntree, Managing Director for Mortgages at Paragon Bank said: “A lot was said about the impact of the pandemic on the Central London rental market, with a number of factors such as the rise in home working and increased desire for access to green space leading to demand for centrally located homes apparently falling off a cliff.
“While I feel that this trend was more evident amongst owner occupiers and overstated in terms of the effect on the rental market, it is nevertheless interesting to see landlords in Central London report the highest levels of tenant demand currently and during the previous three months.
“In addition, we see that the overall record high level of increased tenant demand reported in Q3 2022 continued into the final quarter of last year. This is unsurprising given the pressure on household finances and the relative affordability of rented homes, reinforcing the need for an environment that encourages investment in the private rented sector.”
For press enquiries contact:
Jordan Lott
Media Relations Manager
Paragon
Tel: 0121 712 2319
www.paragonbank.co.uk
Notes to editors:
BVA BDRC surveyed 752 landlords during November and December 2023 on behalf of Paragon Bank.
Paragon lends to private individuals and limited companies and has mortgages suitable for single, self-contained properties, as well as HMOs and multi-unit blocks. Paragon can accommodate higher aggregate lending limits and more complex letting arrangements including local authority leases and corporate leases along with standard ASTs.
Paragon introduced its first product aimed at the professional property investor in 1995 and is a member of UK Finance, the Intermediary Mortgage Lenders Association (IMLA), National Landlords Association (NLA) and the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).
Paragon Bank PLC a subsidiary of the Paragon Banking Group PLC which is a FTSE 250 company based in Solihull in the West Midlands. Established in 1985, Paragon Banking Group PLC has over £13 billion of assets under management and manages over 450,000 customer accounts.
Paragon Bank PLC is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Registered in England number 05390593. Paragon Bank PLC is registered on the Financial Services Register under the firm reference number 604551. Registered office 51 Homer Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 3QJ.