General Manager Toby Martin rounds up the month of May, with news of new notice periods for landlords, the Queen’s Speech and more.
Reduced Landlord Notice Periods
As of the 1st of June 2021, notice periods for landlords have decreased from six to four months. The government temporarily increased notice periods to six months in August 2020, to provide tenants with greater security in their homes at the height of the pandemic. If the ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown restrictions goes according to plan, notice periods are expected to return to their pre-pandemic levels, i.e. 2 months, in October 2021.
Notice periods for tenants remain unaffected; a tenant can serve 1 month’s notice to bring their tenancy to an end.
You can read our detailed blog about this legislation here.
‘Breathing Space’ for Tenants
At the start of May, the Debt Respite Scheme came into force; a new initiative designed to give people in problem debt ‘breathing space’ to consider their options. The scheme, which will apply to tenants in rent arrears, permits any person who is in debt to seek a moratorium from an approved debt advice provider.
We will be posting a full blog on this subject in the coming weeks.
The Queen’s Speech
The Queen’s Speech at the start of May outlined the government’s priorities over the coming year, and contained a promise to ‘enhance the rights of those who rent‘. A White Paper has been promised in the autumn, which will address the government’s long-term promises to overhaul Section 21 evictions and introduce lifetime tenancy deposits for tenants.
You can read our detailed blog about the Queen’s Speech here.
Demand Continues to Outstrip Supply
In line with previous months, tenant demand significantly exceeded property supply during May 2021. At one point, the sheer weight of tenant demand saw our available properties drop to zero for the first time in many years; happily, this did not last for long as new properties swiftly became available. But for every property we place on the market, we are seeing multiple interested parties competing for it, which is in turn driving up rents across the board.
New applicant registrations increased by 22.3% compared to May 2020 which, despite being affected by lockdown restrictions, was a record-breaking month for Reside.
Our message to landlords is simple – it is a very good time to be bringing a rental property to the market.
New Recruit
We are delighted to bring you news of a new addition to the Reside team. Chris Gray has joined us in the role of Lettings Negotiator, and will be first point of contact for many of our clients. Chris brings a wealth of experience in sales and property, and knows Bath inside out.
Reside is an award-winning independent letting agent in Bath. Please get in touch if you would like to discuss any aspect of letting or managing your property; we would love to hear from you.
Toby holds a Level 3 ARLA Propertymark qualification and runs the 'engine room' at Reside, making sure that properties are perfectly-presented and that they are let quickly at a good rent. When not working, Toby is happiest when enjoying a day's cricket.
