Articles by Nick Clay
Rent controls in London - follow the evidence. Please
The outcome of London's mayoral election may be followed by a renewed push for a rent control system to be imposed in the capital. The NRLA have long pointed to evidence, put forward by economists from both the left and the right, that rent controls rarely have the desired effects on the rental market. Where controls exist, tenants and would-be tenants - as well as landlords - get a raw deal.
Energy efficient landlords: investment without reward
This blog post reviews landlord responses to questions on energy efficiency. These questions coincided with a recent BEIS consultation on energy efficency and proposals to raise the minimum EPC rating for rented property to a "C". This post highlights landlord investment and the need to address the failings of the Green Homes Grants programmes - rather than abandon the scheme's objectives.
English Housing Survey 2019-2020: Infographic
This post is a visual summary of the 2019-2020 English Housing Survey (EHS). The EHS is a national survey - published annually - produced by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). Note that data collection for this survey concluded prior to the Covid-19 crisis. This is the first of a series of infographics which will summarise key reports and research into the PRS.
Quarter 3 In Focus: Landlords & Taxation
This In Focus report considers the views of landlords on a range of taxation topics. Landlords' likely response to tax changes sends the Chancellor of the Exchequer a message to think through tax changes and reforms. The impact of changes on the PRS may not be as forecasters predict.
Landlord Confidence Index (LCI) No.8: 2020 Q4
This is the Quarter 4 Landlord Confidence Index (LCI). This quarter there was a slight pick up in confidence in a number of regions - most notably the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber. Once again confidence is noticably lower in London. Inner London, along with Wales has seen confidence fall steadily since Quarter 2.
English Housing Survey: strains on the PRS pre-date Covid-19
In December 2020 the lastest edition of the English Housing Survey was launched. For the third year running both the number and the proportion of households which are in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) fell. However over 4.4m households in England privately rent. This equates to almost one-household-in-five (18.7%) residing in the PRS.
Research webinar - December 2020
In December the Research observatory presented the results of the 2020 Quarter 3 member survey. The webinar also outlined the results of the Quarter 3 Confidence Index as well as reviewing other pieces of research of interest to members. This included the Rent Smart Wales report and the development of the Welsh Enforcement Index.
Rent Smart Wales: Financial surplus - accountability deficit
Rent Smart Wales (RSW) oversees a national property registration and licensing scheme covering landlords and agents in the PRS. This report looks at the performance of RSW as it completes its first full business cycle. The report finds that RSW has benefitted from larger than expected revenues, but landlords feel the anticipated benefits of a national service have yet to be realised.
Taxing times ahead for landlords (despite evidence)
There has been much speculation that the Chancellor of the Exchequer is eyeballing Capital Gains Tax (CGT), as a mechanism to help pay for the response to coronavirus crisis. Evidence collected from landlords in the 2020 Quarter 3 survey suggests that if CGT is such a target then things may not turn out as planned.
Landlord Confidence Index (LCI) No.7: 2020 Q3
This is the Quarter 3 Landlord Confidence Index (LCI). Over 2,000 landlords participated in this research. The fragile confidence returning to landlords in the previous quarter appears short lived. As with the previous quarter, confidence is noticably low in London.
