Southampton Buy to Let - what rents best?

I have already said that everything rents. Whilst we can’t predict the future, we can only see the demand for these properties increasing when you consider:

• The population continues to grow, but not enough housing is being built.
• The number of single person households continues to increase, and the number of families occupying 2 houses (due to marital breakdown) increases also.
• The amount of money required to purchase a property is more than many people can afford. This is resulting in an increased demand for ‘family properties’ as people increasingly turn to rental to meet their long term housing needs.

Condition of Property

We mention it again, because it’s important. Tenants would rather live in a well presented shed than a dilapidated palace! This doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on improvements, just make sure it’s clean, neutral, and the kitchen and bathroom are modern.

Size of Property

A 4 bed house will rent, but there’s always most demand for smaller units – studio or 1 beds close to town or 2 or 3 bed properties in the suburbs. There’s an increasing demand for 3 bed family properties out of town. People who rent don’t want hassle so are generally more concerned with the practicality and ease of a property, rather than having something they can fall in love with.

Price of Property

The bottom end of the market is in particularly high demand. A nice room in a shared house will cost about £400PCM including bills, but some people want their own space and don’t want to share. For that reason, anything you can offer to the market that’s inexpensive (under £400 plus bills or under £500 including bills) will always rent well. It doesn’t matter if it’s tiny as long as it’s self-contained. Landlords who cut larger properties into selfcontained studios do particularly well.

Housing Benefit

There’s massive demand for properties that accept tenants in receipt of benefits, particularly 1 beds and 2 beds. The Local Authority waiting list is currently in the thousands