The most significant aspect of a property's value is its location, according to an expert.

Nick Marr, director of the Little House Company, suggested that borrowers will place value on aspects such as the performance of local schools, as well as other merits.

Those looking to obtain landlord insurance might have noted news that home purchasers are typically willing to pay an extra GBP 20,448 in order to secure a dwelling in a beachside location.

According to the Post Office Mortgages Homebuyers Report, buyers are willing to go to great lengths in order to secure their preferred property.

Individuals who have landlord property insurance arrangements in place might agree that many higher education learners are seeking private accommodation as a means of paying affordable rents.

And Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, has advised undergraduates to identify accredited homeowners as part of their house hunting process.

A new three-year fixed-rate mortgage at 75 per cent loan-to-value has been announced by Norwich and Peterborough Building Society (N&P).

As part of the arrangement, the organisation has reduced the rate from 4.19 per cent to 3.94 per cent for the non-incentive option, which may have caught the attention of landlord insurance customers looking for a new buy-to-let investment.

Landlord insurance holders in possession of a high-quality property have the opportunity to take advantage of strong tenant demand, it has been suggested.

Mark Garner, director and founder of LettingZone, discussed the buoyancy of the market with regards to achieving a decent return on investment.

Properties in London could be on the radar for landlord insurance seekers, after one expert suggested that the capital is a safe place to make an investment.

Ed Mead, director at Douglas & Gordon, outlined the city's global appeal, which may encourage those looking to secure a reliable income from tenants.

The Post Office has announced it has made changes to its tracker and fixed-rate deals in a bid to strengthen its position within the mortgage market.

Specifically, it has unveiled a 65 per cent loan-to-value offer, in news that may have caught the attention of buy-to-let landlord insurance holders.

The property market north of the border might provide cause for optimism for landlord insurance seekers, after Registers of Scotland revealed that home values in the country went up by 3.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2010.

According to Dianne Paterson, residential property partner at Russel + Aitken, the performance is indicative of a relatively high level of positivity in the sector.

An expert has given his view that a cap in housing benefits for tenants might have a detrimental effect on landlords.

According to Malcolm Harrison, an independent property expert, it is important that new rules set to be introduced do not impinge people's ability to pay the rent.

House price growth in the UK could be supported by the extended period of low interest rates witnessed by the country.

And according to Lucian Cook, director at Savills, the property market could be defined by rising home values in the long term - a pattern which may have been noted by landlord insurance customers.

Landlord insurance seekers might be interested to learn that it is still difficult for many first-time buyers to get on to the housing ladder, according to an expert.

Paul Holmes, chief executive officer of Firstrung, observed that there is a yawning gap between people's ability to obtain a property and the prices on offer.

Councils are to blame for excessive housing benefit payments, claims one housing industry body.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has spoken out against the government's decision to cap local housing allowance (LHA).

Reductions in payments by a third could adversely affect up to 750,000 households renting in the private sector, according to recent estimates from the National Housing Federation.

House prices in East London have increased by more than a quarter since the London 2012 announcement, according to new figures from Lloyds TSB.

Two areas have seen house prices rise by almost double the London average of 36 per cent since 2005.

More than 750,000 people face homelessness under the government's decision to cap housing benefits.

This is according to the National Housing Federation, which has estimated in London alone, around 425,000 people could lose their home.

Housing minister Grant Shapps announced last month that households can only now only claim a third of the average market rent of an area.

Rental rates in London are so high that many families could be forced to leave the area in search of work or struggle and fall into arrears.

The organisation has claimed that the rates of homelessness could be the highest in over 30 years.

It has called on the government to create a poverty commission to assess the impact of the cuts on the poorest in the country.

David Orr, chief executive of the Federation, said: "For many people, particularly those with disabilities, moving could be an enormous upheaval. It will also disrupt the education of thousands of children.

"The resulting impact on people's lives would be huge as would the cost to the taxpayer."

He added that councils could face huge costs from temporarily re-housing families while others would be unable to support homeless families.

Posted by Luella Ravelin

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The government's decision to slash costs for the mortgage rescue scheme is "incredibly bad timing", according to one industry expert.

Housing minister Grant Shapps said last week that the scheme will be streamlined, with a reduced grant for housing associations and tighter limits on property price and repair costs.

Future reductions will be decided through the government's comprehensive spending review in the autumn.

Commenting on the plans, the editor of Your Mortgage Paula John said: "More people are likely to struggle with the cuts in public sector spending which are likely to impact on redundancies, increase unemployment and affect people's abilities to repay their mortgages. What you would hope for is more support rather than less at this juncture."

Since the scheme began in April 2009, it has only extended support to 34 people.

However, government has decided to keep the scheme in place until the next financial year, with cuts, in case interest rates are hiked up.

Posted by Luella Ravelin

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The shortage of new rental homes in the private rented sector is likely to continue[delete extra space] over the next four to five years, according to one expert.

A report published by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) last week found that more than two-thirds (70 per cent) of
branches were unable to meet tenant demand for new properties.

There are not enough rental properties to meet demand, according to new research.

The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) has found that more than two-thirds (70 per cent) of their members report having more tenants than properties.

Low interest rates will continue to make finance affordable for landlords, according to one property expert.

The Bank of England's decision to keep interest rates at 0.5 per cent will mean that repayments on buy-to-let will remain low.

Landlords are reportedly more positive about the economic climate, despite the slowing market.

The number of new homes being built in the private residential sector has fallen on last year.

According to the latest Glenigan Index, it has fallen by two per cent on June 2009.

Construction in the social housing sector shows a much steeper decline, with new starts more than a third (40 per cent) down.

More protection is needed in the private rented sector for families that are ineligible for social housing, according to one charity.

Shelter has criticised a proposal from the Greater London Authority to raise the threshold for low-cost home ownership schemes to GBP 74,000 in the capital.

People on the lookout for a new home should not place too much faith in house price indexes, according to one industry expert.

Halifax's latest index found that prices fell for the third successive month in June, showing a decline of 0.6 per cent on May.

The Scottish government has announced new homes funding worth up to GBP 45 million.

Ten local authorities will be the beneficiaries of the new funds, with around 800 new homes expected from the initiative.

Money will be going to areas that have seen long housing waiting lists and homelessness.

A falling supply of homes in the private rental sector has pushed up rents, according to a new index.

Findaproperty.com's rental index for the second quarter has revealed that prices went up by 2.3 per cent.

This means that rent prices are GBP 19pcm higher than they were in the first three months of year.

Around 200,000 people could become homeless because of the government's plans to reduce housing benefit, an industry body has warned.

Chancellor George Osborne announced in the Budget last month that the benefit would be slashed by ten per cent for people that had been claiming Jobseeker's Allowance for a year or more.

New home buyers spend on average 21 minutes viewing a home before deciding to purchase it.

A survey of 1,000 house hunters by ING Direct found that people spend longer on choosing items for their home than on the property itself.

While buyers in Yorkshire and the Humber and London took the longest to make a decision, they still only spent a few minutes longer than the national average.

Property investors will continue to face tough financing conditions, claims one housing body.

The Bank of England's Credit Conditions Survey for the second quarter has forecast that risk limitation will still be high on buy-to-let and other forms of secured lending.

Property investors could consider expanding their portfolios now, in order to take advantage of a predicted rise in rental yields.

Kensington's latest survey found last month that nine in ten people living in rental accommodation believe that the housing ladder is impossible to get onto.

Landlords in Scotland may have benefited from a four per cent drop in the cost of running and maintaining a home.

Figures from Bank of Scotland reveal that properties there now cost on average £388 less to manage than in April 2008.

The Budget may have been less severe than expected for property investors, but financing will still be a barrier to market activity.

This is according to one buy-to-let property expert.

Chancellor George Osborne's Budget announcements included cancelling previous Labour restrictions on holiday lettings' tax incentives and capping capital gains tax at a lower than expected 28 per cent.

Property investors across the country have seen the value of their homes grow by close to double digits, according to the latest figures.

Nationwide's data for the second quarter shows that prices grew on average by 9.5 per cent.

While London landlords saw inflation hit just over a third more than the national average (13.2 per cent), property investors in the south-west and the outer Metropolitan region saw similar rises.

House prices fell in May, which could be good news for first-time buyers.

New data from Land Registry for last month showed the first drop since April 2009.

Figures for May were 0.2 per cent down on the previous month.

Overall, prices have increased by 8.2 per cent year-on-year.

More people are struggling with paying their monthly rent, according to new figures.

The Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCSS) has claimed that the number of people wanting advice on rental problems and eviction has increased.

Whereas more than half of those struggling with money problems last year lived in rented accommodation, most had ensured they could pay their rent, which is classified as a priority debt.

The availability of affordable new homes could be threatened by forthcoming changes to the planning system, according to one builder.

Taylor Wimpey, which has recently slashed its huge debts, said that it was concerned about the impact of policy overhauls to volumes.

Property investors should take advantage of good economic conditions, according to one industry expert.

A recent survey by Paragon Mortgages found that over a fifth (21 per cent) of landlords planned to expand their portfolios in this quarter.

The capital gains tax (CGT) hike will not affect serious long-term investors in the market, according to one industry figure.

Chancellor George Osborne this week (June 22nd) announced the 28 per cent cap on CGT.

It had been expected that CGT would be pushed up in line with income tax.

Building societies need more government support to bring diversity into the mortgage market.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) has called on the government to allow building societies to become more competitive.

In response to a Treasury discussion paper called "Building society capital and related issues", the CML said that the government should also focus on reducing regulation and addressing funding problems.

Energy minister Chris Huhne will say today (June 25th) that 14 million houses across both sectors could benefit from a nationwide retrofitting programme.

The so-called Green Deal aims to reduce carbon emissions by allowing householders to pay through their energy bill savings for energy-efficiency retrofitting loans.

Measures include insulation and potentially, smart meters.

Housing associations need to be independently regulated if they are to manage building homes on restricted budgets, claimed one industry figure.

Chancellor George Osborne this week announced serious cuts to the housing budget, which some bodies such as the National Housing Federation believe will lead to a deficit of homes over the next four years.

Landlords and aspiring second-home owners will not be deterred by the rise in capital gains tax (CGT), according to one property industry expert.

The chancellor announced that CGT will be capped at 28 per cent, despite earlier speculation that it would be raised in line with income tax.

Housing benefit reforms are to be welcomed, according to one property expert.

The chancellor announced in this week's Budget a raft of reforms aimed at tackling so-called "abuse" of the housing benefit system.

These included cutting ten per cent off housing benefit for working age people who have been on Jobseeker's Allowance for more than a year and capping housing allowance for people who are living in properties too large for their household size.

Property investors in the south-east have gained most from the government's raising of the stamp duty threshold.

The former Labour government removed stamp duty for properties below �250,000 this year.

According to Lloyds Banking Group's latest factsheet on the impact of the rise, 70 per cent of homes for homes for first-time buyers in this region are above the original threshold of �125,000.

Affordable homes in the UK will be slashed by a quarter over the next decade, according to one industry body.

The National Housing Federation (NFH) has claimed that the chancellor's Budget cuts will mean that 250,000 affordable homes can no longer be built.

Mortgage brokers have welcomed the chancellor's decision to cap capital gains tax (CGT) below income tax, according to new research.

A survey from Kensington conducted two weeks before the budget found that close to half (46 per cent) of intermediaries thought capping CGT below income tax was the best way to reduce the blow to the buy-to-let market.

Government budget cuts could mean that an additional 350,000 people end up on housing waiting lists, claims an industry campaign group.


The National Housing Federation (NHF) has warned that there will be a shortage of 142,000 affordable homes by 2020, unless housing is ring-fenced.

The government needs to address the lack of available finance for aspiring home-owners and landlords, according to one industry body.

IMLA, the representative body for lenders who use brokers, says that the current "drought" of lending is set to become worse unless the government acts now.

More landlords would expand their portfolios if lending conditions were eased, according to new research.

Paragon Mortgages Trends' survey has found that just over two in ten (21 per cent) of landlords are planning to purchase new properties in this quarter of the year.

The decision to amend the rules regarding houses of multiple occupancy (HMOs) has been welcomed by one industry body.

Housing minister Grant Shapps recently announced that the new government will give local authorities the power to decide when and where landlords must submit a planning application to use a property as an HMO.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) has claimed a victory in its battle to see "draconian" rules regarding houses of multiple occupancy (HMO) redrawn.

Housing minister Grant Shapps recently announced that a consultation will now decide on how HMO rules can work effectively without placing an "unnecessary burden" on landlords and planning authorities.

A warning has been issued to UK residential landlords about unfit properties following an incident in Peterborough.

The city's magistrates court has fined a letting agency and a private landlord �1,300 after they failed to bring a property "up to standard" despite a series of warnings, the Peterborough Evening Telegraph reported.

Buy-to-let landlords who are letting properties in central London could be benefitting from an increase in accommodation budgets among foreign students.

Specialist estate agency LDG, which focuses its attention on the capital's West End area, has reported that the increased budgets and a lack of good quality rental properties have pushed prices up.

The private rented sector (PRS) should not be overlooked as an important part of the housing industry.

This is the view of the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) following a recent speech by housing minister Grant Shapps.

Mr Shapps commented on making sure there are enough homes in the UK for homeownership aspirations to be met.

Landlords facing void periods have been offered a set of tips on how they can avoid this problem.

Belvoir Sheffield said that void periods are property owners' "worst nightmare" as they are costly and can force landlords to use their personal savings to pay off their mortgage.

Residential landlords with property in the south-east of England are seeing rents increase due to a lack of supply, according to a new report.

The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (Rics) said rents are being pushed higher in the area as there are limited options for those entering the rental market.

Residential landlords operating in Scotland and Wales could be among those to have noticed a decline in mortgage activity in the countries.

New figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML) have revealed that in 2009, Wales and Scotland saw the number of approved mortgages decline by two per cent and 23 per cent respectively.

Confidence among British residential landlords is at a three-year high, according to a new report.

Figures from the National Landlord Association's (NLA) latest Landlords Optimism Index have revealed that 57 per cent of residential property investors rate the overall prospects of their lettings business as "good" or "very good" over the next three months.

Tenants cannot afford to be too choosy over new properties with regard to energy efficiency due to the current demand for rented accommodation, it has been suggested.

Private rented sector expert Malcolm Harrison said UK landlords are unlikely to become more proactive in achieving energy efficiency as they are "quite happily" letting out properties at the moment.

The consequences of not complying with Housing Act Improvement Notices have been highlighted for UK residential landlords by an incident in Haydock.

Paul Vincent O'Shaughnessy, of Grange Road, who was convicted of failing to improve a hazardous flat, has lost an appeal against the conviction, the St Helens Star reported.

Homeowners who are considering becoming landlords for the first time have been advised that the private rented sector is a "very complex area".

Tom Entwistle, director of online community LandlordZONE.co.uk, said leasehold regulations and other factors mean it can be difficult for people to understand their full legal obligations.

UK residential landlords who are renting properties to three or more unrelated people have been issued a warning following an incident in Scotland.

Landlords have been warned they could face a "hefty fine" if they fall foul of houses of multiple occupancy (HMO) rules.

First-time buyers in London may have to continue renting for ten years before they can afford to buy, according to a new report.

A recently-published YouGov survey for the National Housing Federation revealed that more than half of Londoners expect to wait ten years before buying a property.

Rental rates in the UK are set to "remain firm" and could even see steady growth this year, according to one industry organisation.

Tom Entwistle, director at online community LandlordZONE.co.uk, said recent rises in rent prices can be attributed in part to a fall in the number of "reluctant" landlords operating in the market.

The "worryingly high" level of tenants' rental arrears could see a number of residential landlords default on their mortgage, one industry body has warned.

According to the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), despite a monthly decrease, more than half of its members have reported an increase in the number of tenants that are "struggling" to meet their rental demands.

Residential landlords, who may be looking to redecorate their properties in order to attract new tenants, have been advised to go for a black and white theme this year.

Carolyn Trevor, interior designer to the stars, has advised that teaming "dark and dramatic" shades together is "the look for 2010".

Changes to how the Local Housing Allowance operates have been urged by the National Landlords Association (NLA).

The organisation, which represents the interests of people letting out their properties, said that the payment system is causing problems for landlords.

Landlords have been advised to check whether their tenancy deposits are being managed correctly.

The call came from rent collection firm Landlord Assist in response to news of cases of homeowners having to pay back deposits they are not required to.

Residential landlords could be seeing tenants vacate their properties to get away from neighbours, new research has suggested.

A recent survey by Abbey Mortgages revealed that 95,200 people have moved home in the last two years to get away from their neighbours.

Residential landlords are set to benefit from improved rents as more "accidental landlords" take advantage of house prices and leave the lettings market, it has been suggested.

The number of rental properties on the market has decreased for the first time since January 2008, according to the latest quarterly survey by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Residential landlords in Coventry, who suspect illegal activity may be taking place in their properties, are being urged to "shop dodgy tenants".

West Midlands Police have written to 2,500 people, who rent out properties in the city, encouraging them to take part in scheme called Tenant Watch, the Coventry Telegraph reported.

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has expelled a London-based estate agent who failed to safeguard a tenant's deposit or pay compensation.

Global Realty, which has two north London offices, has had its membership to the ombudsman scheme revoked after failing to comply with a £1,600 award decision.

More than a quarter of residential landlords reported decreased or stagnated revenue during the third quarter of the year, new figures have shown.

Almost 25 per cent were found to either be making a loss or struggling to break even, according to the latest quarterly report from research agency Business Development Research Consultants (BDRC).

The National Landlords Association (NLA) called on the government yesterday to raise the tax threshold on its rent-a-room scheme.

Under current regulations, landlords who let out spare rooms in their homes are entitled to £4,250 of tax-exempt earnings.

Buy-to-let landlords in Brentwood are benefiting from increased property sales, according to estate agents in the area.

An increase in property sales in the borough has lead to less rented accommodation being available on the market.

In turn this has meant that landlords have been able to put up rental rates and increase profits.

A recent boom has been reported in the market for letting rooms to workers in need of affordable weekday accommodation.

The growing trend of people renting affordable rooms throughout the week, as opposed to making a long daily commute, is producing a huge impact on the buy-to-let sector, the Daily Mail reported.

Landlords showed "renewed" confidence in their industry during the third quarter of 2009 in a new study.

Findings from Paragon Mortgages' PRS Trends report revealed that many landlords anticipate the value of their portfolio will increase during the next 12 months.

Landlords who let homes of multiple occupancy (HMO) were reminded of the importance of licensing this week (Monday November 2nd), after a Brighton landlord was fined more than £1,200.

HMO licences have been required by landlords since 2006, and under the Brighton and Hove City Council scheme, can last for up to five years.

An increasing number of landlords and letting agents are using video evidence in tenancy disputes, according to one deposit protection organisation.

Up to five pieces of video evidence per week are now be submitted to the online dispute service of mydeposits.co.uk, a government-approved scheme.

The number of homeowners reluctantly letting out properties has fallen for the third quarter in a row, according to figures from the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA).

Six in ten of the organisation's members reported property being rented out rather than sold between July and September.

Rents in the UK have risen by almost three percentage points in the last two months following an increase of 1.2 per cent in September, a new report has shown.

London and the south-east proved to have the strongest growth with increases of 4.5 and 6.5 per cent respectively.

Residential landlords on the south coast will be able to learn about their expectations and responsibilities during a meeting later this month.

Gosport Borough Council is hosting its Landlord's Forum on October 22nd, which will allow those involved in residential lettings to ask questions about any issues they are unsure of, the Southern Daily Echo reports.

Residential property owners in Loughborough wanting to know more about landlords insurance can attend a free advisory surgery later this month.

Charnwood Borough Council is hosting the event at its offices in Southfields Road on October 26th between 16:00 and 18:00, inloughborough.com reports.

The importance of taking out appropriate landlord insurance has been highlighted by one property expert.

Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Zoomf's Katie McLoughlin said that property-related problems, albeit small ones, are inevitable "regardless of the size of their property portfolio".

More than half of property experts have seen a "significant improvement" in the way in which investors view UK property investment conditions over the past three months.

This is according to Reita's Property Investment Perspective, which showed that this is true among 54 per cent of those surveyed.

Being a homeowner for increasing numbers of younger people has become an unrealistic expectation.

This is according to Steven Hilton, spokesperson for the National Landlords Association, who was responding to new research revealing that the average age of those renting accommodation has risen.

Portfolio values are expected to increase over the next 12 months for landlords, a development that could see demand for landlord insurance to increase.

Paragon Mortgages latest quarterly survey has revealed that landlords expect, on average, a 0.8 per cent increase in the value of their portfolios during the next year.

Increasing numbers of landlords could experience a rise in property activity following the publication of new research.

Abbey Mortgages has found that those looking at buying a property in the capital would be better off renting.

It was revealed that the 187,000 people looking to get on the property ladder in London would be £466.19 worse off each month if they chose to buy as opposed to rent because of continued high prices in the capital.

Individuals letting a property have seen the average age of tenants increase during the past three years.

According to research by Spareroom.co.uk, the average age of a tenant is now 28-years-old, which is up from 2006's average of 25-years-old, the Press Association reports.

Landlords need to get their finances in order to make sure that their property investment are a success.

That is the view of Mortgages for Business, which has called for more professionalism within the sector.

Financial considerations for landlords include arranging let property insurance, sorting out mortgages and deciding whether or not to look for and purchase new homes.

House prices increased by 0.9 per cent in the UK last month, new statistics have shown.

Research from the Nationwide Building Society revealed that during September property rose in value for the fifth month in a row.

The organisation claimed that home prices have increased by 4.1 per cent in 2009 so far, though they are still 13.5 per cent lower than at the peak of October 2007.

More housing needs to be available in the rented sector, a property website has claimed.

According to upad.co.uk, there needs to be action from the government to help stimulate growth in the marketplace.

A combination of economic factors and social issues has resulted in more potential tenants, which in turn provide more opportunities for landlords.

There has been a rise in demand in the rental market for the first time since the start of the recession, new statistics have shown.

The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) indicated that the rental sector is stabilising and more new tenancies are being agreed.

Rent prices in several regions of the UK are on the rise, according to new statistics from Gumtree.com.

The website has indicated that landlords in cities such as Birmingham, Leeds, Oxford and Glasgow have all seen average rents increase.

Many people are choosing to rent properties rather than trying to buy a home while the market is not in their favour, an expert has claimed.

Yolanda Barnes, director of research at Savills, has explained that the rental market is offering good short-term opportunities for people used to owning homes, as well as long-term benefits to others.

Conditions within the UK housing market are steadily improving, according to property experts.

Smiths Gore has suggested that there are still good opportunities for people looking to buy new homes.

This is in part due to the relatively poor state of the housing sector, with the property consultants explaining that a weak market offers better value for money for shrewd investors.

Both landlords and tenants have a responsibility to ensure that deposits are secure and systems are in place to ensure both parties are satisfied.

That is the view of the Tenancy Deposit Scheme, which has noted that many people are trying to find rented accommodation at the moment.

People with landlords insurance will see the property market "kick-start" in spring 2010, it has been suggested.

Jane Marr, company director at the Little House Company, said that although prices were rising at the moment, the "real" increases would only be seen next year.

Landlords have been urged to maximise the rental potential of their properties but making minor adjustments.

ServiceMaster has called for homes to be spruced up this summer in order to gain an edge over the competition and secure new tenants.

Tenants that can be relied on by landlords are worth keeping - even if the rent they are willing to pay is slightly less than other people.

That is the view of Marc Lockley, who suggested that receiving payments on time and in full is more valuable to landlords than charging more rent but being fraught with problems.

People renting property for the first time have been given advice by a government-approved tenancy deposit protection service.

According to mydeposits.co.uk, people entering the rental market need to know the rules in advance regarding privacy, money and deposits.

The government has been called upon to intervene in order to stop house prices from increasing to unpractical levels.

PricedOut.org.uk has suggested that home values will become more reasonable over the next few months.

However, the affordable property campaign website indicated that action must be taken to "prevent a future boom in house prices".

The UK housing market crash may not yet be over and properties could continue to fall in value next year, according to an influential commentator.

A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has suggested that, despite "green shoots" in the property market, prices could still fall in 2010, although at a slower rate than has been seen over the past year and a half.

Young people are increasingly choosing to rent properties because of the financial downturn, according to an expert.

Jon Brown, partner relationship manager at iammoving.com, an online change of address service, explained that many young adults are finding it difficult to get on the property ladder, with mortgage availability low and fears of redundancies high.

Landlords across the country are losing out because of a change to how the government pays benefit to private tenants, according to a report.

A number of buy-to-let investors spoken to by the BBC said that the new scheme, where tenants rather than landlords receive rent payments from the government, is leading to unscrupulous behaviour.

Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, has backed plans to invest in the rented sector on a large scale.

Upon launching the new London Housing Design Guide consultation, he explained that he is "keen to attract institutional investment into rented housing in London".

The chief executive of the RSA has called for a change of attitude towards rented accommodation.

Matthew Taylor, writing in the Times, explained that the British psyche has for too long equated property ownership with success.

He said that people should feel no shame in renting, given that the recent property market crash has indicated that houses may not be as safe an investment as people think.