A new index analysing rental trends in the UK has revealed that rents for three bedroom homes are among the fastest risers with a 4.6% growth over the past year.
The Landbay Rental Index is the first to analyse rental properties by the number of available bedrooms.
From the findings, the index also reveals that the highest growth for three bed properties to rent are in Maidenhead and Windsor, where rents grew by 22%, as well as Southend and Swindon.
The study also finds that landlords in the UK saw rents grow by 3.3% to an average of £1,281 per month, though the rate at which rents are increasing is beginning to slow.
Rents for all property types rise
When rent rises are analysed outside of London, landlords in Southend saw the rents for all property types rise by 12.6%, in York they grew by 12.1% and in Wrexham rents rose by 11.1%.
However, rents in Cheshire fell by 6.9% and in Aberdeen by 5.7%.
John Goodall, the chief executive of Landbay, said: “Rents have performed well in 2014 at a national level but these trends are not uniform.”
He added that the index shows that family homes for rent in the south-east are among the most attractive propositions for landlords.
Landlords can have inventory clerks check smoke alarms
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that letting agents and landlords can use inventory clerks to check the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms that are fitted in a rental property.
From 1 October, it is now the law that landlords in England install a smoke detector on each floor of their property and for a carbon monoxide alarm to be fitted where there is a solid fuel burning appliance, including wood burners.
These alarms must now be tested when every tenancy begins and failure to comply with the law could see a landlord being fined up to £5,000.
Landlords had raised issues about smoke alarms
Some landlords had raised issues about the cost of having to employ a specialist or a tradesman to carry out the smoke alarm checks.
However, the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks (AIIC) says that the inventory clerk can carry out the check if required.
The chair of the AIIC, Pat Barber, said: “As part of the mandatory check-in procedure, the independent clerk can check the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms and report back on any problems.”
She added that the clerk will report on the presence of an alarm and test it and then ask the tenant to sign a statement which will agree with the clerk's findings.
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