Research by leading rental portal, Rentd, has revealed that the cost suffered by the nation’s landlords as a result of rental void periods has fallen in all but two regions, as growing demand continues to drive a post-pandemic rental market revival. 

Rentd analysed the average void period seen across each region of the rental market so far in 2022, how this has changed since the previous year and what it means for the nation’s landlords based on the rental cost incurred due to lost rent. 

The research shows that across England, the average void period currently sits at 20 days, down from 25 days at the start of 2021. 

At the same time, the average rent across England has climbed from £848 per month (£28 per day) to £911(£30 per day) in the last year, meaning that the cost of these rental void periods is now higher. Despite this, Rentd’s analysis shows that the average void period across England has actually fallen from £697 to £599 - a decline of £98. 

London has seen the largest decline with the average rental void period falling from a cost of £1,285 at the start of 2021, to £984 in 2022. That said, while this £301 decline is the largest of all regions in England, the capital’s rental void periods also remain the most costly to landlords. 

Yorkshire and the Humber has also seen a sizeable reduction, with the cost of the average void period reducing by £219 year on year, along with the North East (-£173) and the West Midlands (-£165).

The cost incurred by landlords as a result of the average void period has also fallen across the South East (-£87), East of England (-£62) and East Midlands (-£8).

Just two regions have seen this unsavoury rental market metric move in the opposite direction. In the North West the average cost of a rental void period has increased by 6%, while the South West has seen the largest increase at £211. 

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented: 

“The impact of the pandemic was quite profound in many areas of the rental market and particularly across major cities, where dwindling levels of tenant demand saw rental expectations slashed simply to secure a tenant and reduce the long void periods that were building between agreements. 

However, with Covid restrictions now behind us and a return to the workplace in full swing, we’ve seen tenant demand once again return to the rental market on all fronts and this has started to cultivate signs of a rental market revival across the board. 

The previous surplus of rental stock is now starting to vanish and as a result rental values are climbing from the pandemic depths to which they had previously slumped. Despite this increase in rental values, the cost of the average void period has also dropped as landlords are now finding they can re-let their property at a much quicker rate than was previously possible.”

Average cost of void period based on the average daily rental value in each region (HomeLet) multiplied by the number of days in the average void period and compared to the same statistics for the previous year. 

Research by leading rental portal, Rentd, has revealed which boroughs are driving the London rental market revival as rental values start to climb and tenant demand returns to the market.

The capital’s rental market has been arguably the worst hit as a result of the pandemic, with working from home advice and travel restrictions causing both demand and rental values to plummet across the London market in 2021. 

However, the latest research by Rentd shows that this decline is reversing at speed in 2022, with rental values climbing annually across 42% of London boroughs, while tenant demand has increased across every London borough since this time last year.

With the current average rent sitting at £1,597 across London, tenants are still benefiting from a pandemic decline in rental values, paying -3% less per month on average compared to a year ago. 

The City of London continues to be the worst hit, with rental values down -19% versus a year ago, with Lambeth (-12%) and Westminster (-10%) also enduring a double-digit decline. 

However, not every borough of the capital is following this top line trend. Kingston upon Thames has seen the largest increase in rental values over the last year at +12%, with Bexley (+8%) and Croydon (+7%) also seeing a notable increase.

As many as 11 other boroughs have also seen rental values climb year on year, albeit at a more consevatice rate of between one and three percent. 

What’s more, the latest data from Rentd suggests that the positive shoots of rental price growth seen across much of the capital could soon spread.

Rentd analysed rental demand based on the proportion of rental homes listed across London that have already been snapped up by returning tenants. 

The research shows that 42% of rental market stock has already been let in the current London market, a +12% increase on this time last year. Barking and Dagenham has seen the largest increase in demand with a +23% increase in the level of rental stock being let, with Waltham Forest (+22%), Newham (+21%), Haringey (+19%) and Greenwich (+19%) also seeing some of the largest uplifts in demand. 

In terms of highest demand currently, Bexley (59%), Lewisham, Bromley, Sutton and Waltham Forest (54%) rank top. 

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented: 

“During the pandemic, the London rental market was knocked for six due to a severe decline in both domestic and international tenant demand. The result of which was some drastic declines in rental values and we’re still seeing the tailwind of this trend today. 

However, as we’ve edged further and further back towards normality rental values have started to climb in many areas and we’ve also seen an uplift in rental demand across the entire market. While the impact of this increasing demand won’t be immediately visible where rental values are concerned, it’s only a matter of time before we see the capital return to full health as a result.”

Rooms for rent in west London were among areas that dragged down the average rental price in the UK in the first quarter of 2021, as the pandemic continues to act as a weight on the market. Room rents in the capital are now down significantly for the fourth consecutive quarter with the average London room rents dropping by 8%, from £771 ($1,070) in Q1 2020 to £706 in Q1 2021. According to new figures released by SpareRoom in its quarterly rental index, room rents in every London region were down year-on-year. The west-central area of London saw the biggest drop (-20%), followed by east-central (-17%) and west (-11%). The London postcodes where room rents have reduced the most include SW1 (Westminster/Belgravia/Pimlico) -25%, W1 (West End/Soho) -23% and W8 (Holland Park) -21%, dropping from £1,117, £1,169 and £1,144 to £833, £904 and £900 respectively. Excluding London, UK rents are up 1% year-on-year, SpareRoom found. In fact, the only UK region apart from London to experience a decrease in room rents was the West Midlands, down 1%. Alongside London’s sustained decline in rents, SpareRoom research reveals a marked fall in demand v supply for rentals across the capital since the start of the pandemic.

What is the average rental value in the UK? For September 2021 the data shows that the average rental price for a new tenancy in the UK was £1,061 per calendar month (PCM), which is up by 7.5% from last year. Latest Rental Index data: September 2021 The average rent in the UK is now at a record high of £1,061, up 7.5% on the same time last year, and up 0.8% from last month's figures. London's average monthly price has rose for the fourth month in a row after a year of decline, with an annual variance increase of 6.4% to £1,752 PCM. Excluding London, the average UK rent price is 7.6% higher than last year, up to £891 PCM. Wales saw the highest annual price rise, with the current average price of £734 PCM marking a 12.9% increase on this time last year, and a 1.5% rise from last month's data. Elsewhere, rent prices in the South West rose by 1.2% compared to last month to an average of £971 PCM, which is an annual increase of 7.6%.

Rental homes in outer city areas have seen stronger growth over the last year, while inner city rental properties continue to command a higher monthly rental income, says buy-to-let specialist Sequre Property Investment. Its research involved an analysis of rental market data for London, Manchester and Birmingham, revealing how it differed when comparing inner and outer city area. Sequre Property Investment reports that inner city rental markets attract the strongest levels of monthly rent. On average across all three cities, the monthly cost of renting within an inner city area is at £1,152 versus £908 per month in the outer city market, highlighting a difference of 27% or £244 per month. The biggest difference has been recorded in London, where rents across the inner city rental market are 37% higher on average. In Manchester there was an increase of 26% and in Birmingham it was 9%. Looking at annual rental growth, however, it has remained largely flat in the outer city areas, while across inner city rental areas it has fallen -4.4% in the last 12 months. Manchester has performed the strongest, with inner city rental values remaining largely unchanged in the last year, while across the city’s outer rental market values have climbed by 3.7%. In Birmingham, outer city rental values are up 2.2% versus a marginal 0.3% uplift across the inner city. London’s rental market has struggled across the capital, with only a 1.1% increase in rental values across outer city areas and a -7.8% drop across inner city areas. Daniel Jackson, Sales Director at Sequre Property Investment, commented: “It’s clear inner city rental markets are still struggling due to the decline in demand caused by the pandemic, despite a gradual return to normality from a social standpoint and with regard to the workplace. “This is particularly evident across the London market, where rental values have plummeted across inner city areas, while they’ve also struggled in outer city areas. “The good news is that elsewhere, outer city rental values are on the up, with both Manchester and Birmingham seeing very healthy levels of growth. This suggests that tenants are now starting to make their return and this is a trend that should soon reach our city centres and help boost values across inner city rental markets.”

The value of shops and houses in Chelsea is nearing rock bottom, according to the boss of one of central London’s oldest landlords. “Over the past two years retail values have fallen by about a third . . . I now expect that to stabilise,” said Hugh Seaborn, chief executive of Cadogan Estates, which owns upmarket shops, apartments and offices across 93 acres of Chelsea and Knightsbridge in west London. Overall, the value of the 300-year-old, family-owned estate dropped 14 per cent to £4.8bn last year. Retail was the main drag, with valuations plunging by a quarter over the year. The company owns more than £1.5bn worth of housing stock in Chelsea, which it rents out. The value of that housing has ebbed since the market for expensive central London homes peaked in 2014, falling by 23 per cent in seven years.  Many of those on short-term rental contracts have vacated properties during the Covid pandemic, which then remained empty. Gross rents across Cadogan’s residential portfolio fell by 9.1 per cent to £30.1m in the year, and the value of the portfolio fell 5.7 per cent. Operating profits fell 8 per cent year on year to £97m. But Seaborn was confident that valuations for both houses and shops on the estate were reaching the bottom, pointing to renewed interest in storefronts on the Kings Road and Sloane Street and a recent upturn in inquiries for homes to rent.  “We know that retailers require fewer shops, but they still require bricks and mortar stores to convey their brand,” he said. Coronavirus has had a similar impact on neighbouring estates, emptying high streets across central London of tourists and sapping value from the properties owned by groups such as the Crown Estate, Grosvenor Estate, Capco and Shaftesbury.

Landlords set to save thousands as the UK’s first start to finish lettings platform raises at a £5m valuation

Rentd is the newly launched property platform that finds and secures tenants for landlords at a fixed fee of just £799 including VAT, only payable once let. That’s a considerable saving compared to the typical commission of £1,750 and one that can help boost buy-to-let profit margins following a string of government legislations designed to do the opposite. 

This landlord is saving over £85,000 in lettings commission compared to using a traditional letting agent at their 10% typical fee. The beautiful 8 bedroom, 7 bathroom house set in the exclusive Knightsbridge, walking distance to Harrods is available at £858,000 per annum (payable at £71,500 per calendar month).   

However, the Rentd proposition is not just about saving landlords a lot of money and it is also centered on an end to end experience, utilising revolutionary technology to save landlords and tenants time, while creating greater certainty and reliability.

These features include: -

• A more specific and tenant-friendly search experience including being able to search by property feature and by amenity - even by broadband speed or whether a cleaning or linen service are included
• 3D Virtual walkthrough for every property listed on the platform
• Search by commute - by the actual time taken from front door to desk
• Prospective tenants can arrange viewings by automated appointment diary 24/7 via the Rentd platform
• Once viewed, prospective tenants can offer to secure the property immediately via the Rentd platform 
• Tenant referencing, Right to Rent checks - all carried out seamlessly and digitally
• Lettings agreement - Populated, sent to all parties and signed electronically
• Deposit and initial rent - Paid electronically via the Rentd platform 

With the proposition and technology complete and now live, Rentd can announce that they have raised £250,000 in investment at a post money valuation of £5,000,000, allowing them to begin the roll out of the business across London with the UK national market and international territories to follow soon.

Investors in this round include Wealth Management Partners, owners of global advisory firm, the AHR Group.   

This initial funding will fuel a significant marketing effort and ongoing technology along with native app development.

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented:

 “Up until now, the process of completing a rental transaction from start to finish has been protracted and clunky for both the tenant and the landlord, with it taking a considerable amount of time and effort to gather the fragmented components required from both parties.

We’ve spent three years developing the Rent proposition in order to change this and the result is the UK’s first rental platform combining these various components into one super slick user experience. We’ve been sure that this approach is focussed as much on the landlord user experience as it is the tenant and not only does it take the pain out of finding a tenant, but they also save a considerable sum in agent commissions."

London rental yields continue their pandemic decline but 2022 looks promising

Research by leading rental portal, Rentd, has shown that the pandemic decline in rental yields across the London market continued in 2021, but a brighter year ahead is forecast for the capital’s landlords as life returns to London in 2022. 

Rentd analysed the average rental yield available to London landlords based on both rental and house price values in 2021 and how the market has performed during the pandemic. 

The research shows that 2021 saw yet another decline in rental profitability across all areas of the London market.  

Rentd’s analysis shows that the average rental yield fell to 3.7% last year, down -0.3% year on year and a drop of -0.6% when compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The impact of Covid-19 on the London rental market remains clear, with the City of London seeing one of the largest annual declines along with Westminster at -0.8%. 

The City of London has also seen the largest decline when compared to pre-pandemic yields, with a -1.5% drop. 

When it comes to the boroughs currently offering the strongest returns, East London is leading the way. 

Both Newham and Tower Hamlets are home to an average yield of 4.5%, with Barking and Dagenham (4.4%), Greenwich (4.1%), Lambeth, Hounslow and Southwark (3.8%) also sitting above the London average. 

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented: 

“Although 2021 was certainly a better year for the London rental market, Covid-19 continued to stifle demand from both domestic and international tenants, as restrictions on travel and advice on working from home remained in place. 

As a result, rental values continued to fall as landlords looked to secure a tenant and recoup some of their losses after a very tough 2020 and this was the driving factor behind a further decline in rental yields, most notably across the City of London and Westminster.

The good news is that 2022 is already looking far more promising. London has reopened for business and we’ve already seen a sharp uplift in tenant activity which is helping to rejuvenate rental values at quite some pace.”

Data tables

Rentd calculated the average rental yield in each year based on house price data from the Gov.uk UK House Price Index and private rental values from the Office for National Statistics.

True cost of being a landlord - Buy-to-let returns hit £16k per year as capital appreciation boosts profit margins.

Research by leading rental portal, Rentd, has revealed that, despite the government’s best efforts, the return on a buy-to-let purchase currently sits at £16,311 per year, up from £6,220 in 2019. 

Rentd looked at the true cost of being a landlord based on the ongoing costs associated with a buy-to-let investment and how this balanced against the return on offer on an annual basis. 

Initial start up costs

For those starting out in the buy-to-let sector there are some initial costs to consider when investing. The most notable being the mortgage deposit required, which at an average of 25% for a buy-to-let property, equates to £64,750 on the current average buy-to-let price of £259,000. 

There’s also the inflated cost of stamp duty versus a residential purchase, averaging £10,720 on the average buy-to-let property, with agency costs such as tenant finding fees (£1,277) and tenancy deposit registration (£40) bringing the total cost of this initial investment to £76,787. 

Ongoing costs

but once your buy-to-let investment is up and running how profitable is it in the current market? 

The largest ongoing cost associated with a buy-to-let is the annual rate of interest paid on a mortgage, which equates to £8,159 on the average buy-to-let purchase. Annual maintenance costs also average £2,590 along with £1,532 per year in agency management fees. 

Then there’s the smaller costs associated with a buy-to-let including void periods (£700) and landlord insurance, with this total sitting at £13,150 per year. 

Buy-to-let returns

In contrast to the outgoing costs, the average buy-to-let is estimated to return £12,68 per annum in rental income - a yield of 4.93%. This means that the average landlord is actually making a loss of nearly £400 when comparing rental income to the ongoing costs of owning a buy-to-let property. 

However, over the last decade, the average rate of capital appreciation on a buy-to-let property has sat at 6.45%, meaning an increase in property value of £16,693 per year. This level of capital appreciation boosts the annual return on investment to £16,311, considerably higher than the same total return of £6,220 in 2019 and £5,150 in 2020. 

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented: 

“A Buy-to-let property can be a sizable investment and like any business, the key to success is fine tuning your portfolio to ensure that you cover the required ongoing costs while maximising your profit margins. 

For many this means investing in areas with above average rental yields, or high demand urban hubs that provide a lower chance of long void periods, all while negotiating with their agent on fees to keep ongoing costs at a minimum. 

Even still, the running costs of the average buy-to-let are likely to eclipse the annual rate of rental income and the real silver lining of the sector in recent years has been the high rates of capital appreciation seen on an investors portfolio. 

We don’t believe that this should be the case and removing the unnecessary costs involved in rental management has been the Rentd mission from day one. By securing tenants, reducing void periods, arranging viewings, carrying out referencing checks, sorting lettings agreements, deposits, ongoing rent and more, we’ve reduced the time and money required from a landlord so they can maximise the financial prosperity of their property portfolio.”

Data Tables (Image Format)

Average void period sourced from GoodLord

Mortgage interest sourced from Money Facts

Maintenance costs sourced from The Balance

Letting agent fees sourced from RentRound

Landlord Insurance sourced from Nimblefins

Agency fee sourced from Which

Rental values sourced from HomeLet

Average deposit info sourced from Money Helper

Average Buy-to-Let value sourced from Shawbrook Bank

Average rate of capital appreciation sourced from Gov.uk

London’s renters can save big by heading south of the river.

Research by leading rental portal, Rentd, has revealed that renting south of the river can save London’s tenants an average of £129 per month, but this saving can climb as high as £800 per month simply by crossing the Thames from one borough to the other. 

Rentd analysed current London rental market values and found that the average cost of renting across boroughs north of the Thames currently stands at £1,625 per month, 1.8% more than the wider London average of £1,597. 

Setting your sites on a south London rental is more affordable, with the average cost across boroughs to the south of the Thames coming in at just £1,496 per month. Not only is this -6.3% below the London average, but it’s -8% more affordable than the cost of renting north of the river. 

However, tenants keen to keep their options open could save on renting simply by hopping the Thames between boroughs straddling the river bank. 

A move from Kensington and Chelsea to Wandsworth would result in a saving of £810 per month, while Westminster to Lambeth would see tenants save £797 per month in rental costs. 

Opting for Lewisham over Tower Hamlets would also see you save £299 per month in rental costs but it’s not just a north to south move across the Thames that could reduce this monthly outgoing. 

At £1,227 per month, Barking and Dagenham is £217 per month more affordable than renting in Greenwich, while opting for Hounslow over Richmond would bring a monthly saving of £390 per month. 

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented: 

“The London rental market is notoriously expensive and we’re currently seeing this cost of living being squeezed across all areas of the home, not just the cost of renting. So for many tenants, it’s a matter of living where they can afford as opposed to where they might actually want to be.

However, finding a greater level of affordability doesn’t necessarily mean looking to the outskirts of the capital and, in fact, you can considerably reduce your rental outgoings simply by hopping the river from one bank to the other. 

While south London is generally home to a lower cost of renting there are pockets of affordability to be found throughout the London market and now has never been a better time to find them as rents are yet to return to their pre-pandemic highs. 

Of course, this won’t remain the case forever and so it’s always important to consider whether or not you can afford an increase in the cost of renting further down the line if you are looking to lay long term foundations in the London market.”

Rentd will address the sharing economy's trust problem, giving hosts / landlords and guests more control, ownership, and lower fees than existing platforms.

We will be building a decentralized platform for the home-sharing economy facilitating short and long-term stays utilising smart contracts and payable with cryptocurrency and traditional payment methods powered by our native token RNTD - coming soon to the Hedera Network- which is held by all hosts and can be used for booking stays, staking to qualify for rewards, participating in platform governance, and more.

On trend furniture rental subscriptions are taking over an old-fashioned business model of disposable, flat pack furniture. What used to be the go-to, when moving into a new home, is now a thing of the past. Instead of purchasing low quality DIY furniture with the hassle of missing screws and damaged parts, which mostly have a limited lifespan, why not opt for contemporary well styled quality furniture, delivered and installed before you move in? Leasing furniture is the way forward and saves renters on forking out a large upfront furniture budget. Furniture rental subscriptions enable you to take on manageable monthly payments for your personalised interiors which is much more affordable, considering the extensive costs associated with renting a new home (deposit, upfront rent, removals company, storage etc). They will lease items to a renter and once the subscription ends, items will be refurbished and rented out again. This cycle allows businesses to make sustainable living accessible and affordable to their customers. Eliminating the logistical nightmare of storing, selling or moving furniture when relocating is hugely attractive for movers. Most furniture rental companies will also offer you the choice of a colour palette and theme for each room that you wish to design and will also assist in configuring the furniture on your behalf. This new form of interior design means you can move into your fully decked out home, without the headache of even more boxes and packaging, allowing your new property to feel like a home almost immediately.

Towards the end of 2021, we saw increased demand by renters in certain parts of London. We’ve shortlisted the top 4 sought after areas, highlighting the top reasons we think these locations are so popular amongst renters. We find the most common local attractions mentioned by applicants when seeking a new home are accessibility, close to a park and buzzing cafe/restaurant/cinema culture. **BATTERSEA - SOUTH LONDON** 4 mins to Victoria and 8 mins to Waterloo Battersea Power Station development Riverside Independent boutiques Northcote Road Market Battersea Park The London Heliport **NOTTING HILL - WEST LONDON** 4 mins to Paddington and 10 mins to Victoria Portobello Market Westfield Shopping Centre Plethora of restaurants and bars Theatre and cinema culture Holland Park **HACKNEY - EAST LONDON** 12 mins away from Liverpool Street The Hackney Empire theatre Hackney Picturehouse Broadway Market Close to canal London Fields Lido **WEST HAMPSTEAD - NORTH LONDON** 14 minutes aways from Waterloo Bustling restaurant and cafe culture Farmer's Market Hampstead Heath O2 Centre JW3

Pay your rent on time This seems like an obvious one but there are tenants who will assume that paying rent late is okay. This is one of the quickest ways to lose your landlords trust and turn your relationship sour. Make sure to have a direct debit set up to ensure your rent is paid on time. Perhaps setting it for the day before in case of any bank errors or delays. Show respect to your neighbours Being considerate towards your neighbours can go a long way. You never know when you might need a favour from a neighbour, for example asking them to sign for a parcel if you’re going to be out. In addition, showing lack of respect by blasting loud music or leaving your washing machine on at midnight, can also create a poor reputation for the landlord who might be known by neighbours. Look after the property Even though the property does not belong to you, the property is temporarily your home and so it is a no-brainer that you should take care of it whilst you live there. Simple things like cleaning the property regularly, reporting damages or broken appliances, getting carpets and sofa professionally cleaned and keeping the garden tidy and groomed, if avoided are things that can make the condition of a property very poor over time. A landlord would be very disappointed to see their tenant has been irresponsible and complacent about the upkeep of their home, which could be reflected in their reference once your tenancy has ended. Be honest Building trust in your landlord is really important. If your landlord feels they cannot trust you, this will only mean more random inspections, uncertainty when it comes to rent or any rules that have been set. For example, if there is a maintenance issue in your home or an appliance egst damaged, make sure you are honest about how the issue arose. This will help the contractor and landlord get to the source of the problem much quicker. Honesty is the best policy! Leave the property in good condition Although you do pay a deposit to cover any damages within the property, it is simple courtesy to put back a property to the way it was handed to you. Filling holes you made or painting over scuffs can be really appreciated by some landlords, as it will save the landlord time and effort in renting the property to the next tenant. Inform your utility companies that your tenancy is ending It can be a real nightmare waiting on the phone to speak to all your utility companies but frustratingly it does need to be done on your moving out day. Some utility companies will allow you to terminate a contract or provide a final meter reading via an online account or even an application. Take advantage, as you will save yourself lots of time. If you move out without organising your utilities, it can mean your landlord is left with unpaid bills and lots of admin to sort out. This can really irritate a busy landlord as it is a tenants responsibility to clear all bills. Communicate with your landlord A landlord’s biggest pet hate is to be ignored. If you can see your landlord is trying to get hold of you, it may be important, so make sure to pick up or call back as soon as you can. You would expect the landlord to pick up in case of an emergency so likewise a tenant should be reachable too. Many of the points above come down to simple common courtesy and being a responsible renter; it's not a difficult task. To ensure you maintain a good relationship between yourself and your landlord keep things transparent and honest which will ultimately lead to a positive tenancy where both parties feel fairly treated.

Ever wondered how homes look so pristine and beautiful in glossy property magazines? Photoshop? Well perhaps, but to begin with the staging needs to be on point. Applicants will rely heavily on photos and more recently on virtual tours when scrolling on Rightmove, Zoopla or Prime Location as to whether a property is to their liking. Ensuring that your property is looking its best will be the difference between an applicant clicking on your listing or moving onto the next property. We work closely with our photographers for each and every property we list and as a result would like to share some top tips on what to consider when staging your home in preparation for a photoshoot. 360 degree virtual tours are less forgiving so it imperative that you do not cut corners and follow a few simple steps we recommend. Key areas to focus on are the front of your property, kitchen, living space, bedroom and bathroom. As a starting point, across your property ensure all lights are working and switched on in readiness for the photographer’s arrival as well as open all blinds and tie back curtains neatly to let in natural light. OUTSIDE What is the weather like on the day of the shoot? Make sure front gardens are well groomed Remove any bins or clutter KITCHEN Clear down all worktops, tidy away any food items and bulky appliances Remove any pet bowls/beds Make sure sink and drying rack are empty Ensure hob is sparkling clean Hide fridge magnets Put away tea towels LIVING SPACE Ensure any rugs or carpets are freshly hoovered Coffee tables are cleared down of magazines, tissue boxes etc Plump up cushions on the sofa Set up your dining table Remove any kids toys and pet’s toys Ensure bookshelves are neatly stacked Go the extra mile and add some fresh flowers BATHROOM Leave toilet seat down Remove all toiletries in shower/bath/sink Keep shower curtain back Towels to be neatly folded - best to display simple plain towels, nothing obtrusively bright or patterned Polish any mirrors or shower glass doors Remove bath or toilet mats Decorate with a small plant - even an artificial one will do BEDROOM The bed should be made neatly with plumped pillows and a neatly folded throw if you have one - simple plain bedding is best! All drawers and wardrobe doors should be shut Anything stored under the bed should be out of site Clear down any cluttered bedside drawers or dressing tables Remove any family photos Make sure your clothes and shoes are all

Putting Ahmed under the spotlight, we opened up the floor to our Instagram followers to ask our founder any question they desired. Here’s what they came up with: **Where does Rentd advertise?** We like to give our landlords maximum exposure so we advertise across all major portals and social media platforms. With us, our landlord's properties appear on Rightmove, Zoopla, Primelocation, Boomin, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. **Do you cover properties outside London?** Not at the moment, being a startup launched just over a year ago we are concentrating on London. However we shall be expanding throughout the UK over the coming year. **What is your favourite feature on the app?** My personal favourite is the platform’s AI which makes negotiating even simpler. Rentd can instantly decline offers based on renters income and offer price on the landlords behalf ensuring they only receive offers which they would genuinely consider. **What is the most expensive property you have advertised?** We currently have a property for rent priced at £71,500 per month! Based in Knightsbridge and has 8 bedrooms, 7 bathrooms, a swimming pool and totally 5961 sq ft. **Most popular postcode in London?** We are currently letting a lot of properties in the SW, a lot of landlords are loving the savings they are making with us. **Is Rentd available on desktop?** It will be very shortly, it’s currently in development to be launched very very soon. **Is it really that important to have a virtual tour?** 100%, virtual tours offer the flexibility to view a property if for example the applicant is based abroad, doesnt have the time for those taking extra safety measures. We have let properties directly via our virtual tours. Always consider the quality of the virtual tour, we use leading 3D Matterport technology. **If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?** London, for me, is the best city in the world! **What would be your desert island meal?** I’m a massive burger fan…burger and chips and let me be..

Online-only lettings platform Rentd, which launched in June 2020, has raised £250,000 to fund its expansion.

It charges landlords £799 including VAT per property for a ‘tenant find and move-in service’ regardless of the total rent or sizes of the property, or around £1,000 less than the average commission for a whole house in London, it is claimed.

Lead investor in this round is Wealth Management Partners, owners of global advisory firm, the AHR Group.

Based in Ealing, Rentd has launched initially in London and also has some inventory – with plans to go national and international later.

It was established in 2018 by former prime central London property consultant Ahmed Gamal with co-founder Lawrence Hansford.

After three years spent developing the ‘revolutionary’ software that underpins the platform, Gamal says his service both saves landlords money but also enables landlords and tenants to save time, ensuring a more reliable tenant-find process.

Its fee includes securing tenants for a property via its own and portal listings, physical viewings management, 3D online viewings, offer management, referencing, moving in, Right to Rent checks, contract paperwork completion as well as s deposits and initial rent collection.

“Up until now, the process of completing a rental transaction from start to finish has been protracted and clunky for both the tenant and the landlord, with it taking a considerable amount of time and effort to gather the fragmented components required from both parties,” says Gamal (pictured).

“We’ve spent three years developing the proposition in order to change this and the result is the UK’s first rental platform combining these various components into one super slick user experience.

Source: www.thenegotiator.co.uk

The average cost of renting a flat in the UK has grown by 11% in the last quarter – the highest rate recorded since 2008.

So, as if London rents weren’t crippling enough, they’re about to get even more expensive.

In fact, the typical single-income household in the capital is spending 52% of its monthly incomings on rent.

But new research, from rental platform Rentd, reveals that while rental prices are on the rise in London – with 88% of postcodes now higher – there are certain pockets where this isn’t the case.

In SW1, around Westminster and Belgravia, the average rental value is currently 22.2% lower than it was in December 2019.

Seven online tools all renters should know about.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/seven-online-tools-all-renters-should-know-about-lghxn26cg

London rental yields are still on the rise after a temporary pandemic slump, with southern areas providing particularly strong opportunities for buy-to-let landlords. 

While much of the nation’s property market enjoyed a boom during the pandemic, London’s market was hit by a dip in demand as people prioritised green, open space over urban living.

For landlords, this fall in demand caused rental values to dip and therefore led to a fall in yields.

But, as the impact of the pandemic fades, people are returning to the capital and this has resulted in an uptick in a sharp return to form for the London rental market, according to research by Rentd, which the London rental platform shared with City A.M. today.

In the past year alone, average yields have climbed by 0.3 per cent, from 3.3 per cent to 3.6 per cent.

“The capital’s rental market is showing a solid return to form after a slightly concerning dip in the early days of the pandemic,” said Ahmed Gamal, the founder and CEO of Rentd.

Gamal stressed “it’s interesting to see the south of the city enjoying much of the strongest yield growth, suggesting that, while people are still happy to live in a major city, they also want to maintain easy access to the green and coastal locations easily accessible from the south.”

Walworth and Forest Gate

There are a good number of areas where yields have climbed more dramatically. 

In the SE17 outcode area around Walworth, yields have increased by 1.4%, from 4% to 5.4%; and up in Hampstead Heath’s NW3 area, they’re up 1.1% from 2.9% to 4%. 

In the Forest Gate area of E7, yields have increased by 1%, from 3.7%-4.7%, and the same increase applies to both SE16 and SE8. 

In E9, SE4, SE5, CR4, and EN4 respectively, yields have increased by 0.9% on the year.

Source: www.cityam.com

Rentd is the newly launched property platform that finds and secures tenants for landlords at a fixed fee of just £799 including VAT, only payable once let. That’s a considerable saving compared to the typical commission of £1,750 and one that can help boost buy-to-let profit margins following a string of government legislations designed to do the opposite. 

This landlord is saving over £85,000 in lettings commission compared to using a traditional letting agent at their 10% typical fee. The beautiful 8 bedroom, 7 bathroom house set in the exclusive Knightsbridge, walking distance to Harrods is available at £858,000 per annum (payable at £71,500 per calendar month).   

However, the Rentd proposition is not just about saving landlords a lot of money and it is also centered on an end to end experience, utilising revolutionary technology to save landlords and tenants time, while creating greater certainty and reliability.

These features include: -

• • A more specific and tenant-friendly search experience including being able to search by property feature and by amenity - even by broadband speed or whether a cleaning or linen service are included
  • 3D Virtual walkthrough for every property listed on the platform
  • Search by commute - by the actual time taken from front door to desk
  • Prospective tenants can arrange viewings by automated appointment diary 24/7 via the Rentd platform
  • Once viewed, prospective tenants can offer to secure the property immediately via the Rentd platform 
  • Tenant referencing, Right to Rent checks - all carried out seamlessly and digitally
  • Lettings agreement - Populated, sent to all parties and signed electronically
  • Deposit and initial rent - Paid electronically via the Rentd platform 

With the proposition and technology complete and now live, Rentd can announce that they have raised £250,000 in investment at a post money valuation of £5,000,000, allowing them to begin the roll out of the business across London with the UK national market and international territories to follow soon.

Investors in this round include Wealth Management Partners, owners of global advisory firm, the AHR Group.   

This initial funding will fuel a significant marketing effort and ongoing technology along with native app development.

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, commented:

 “Up until now, the process of completing a rental transaction from start to finish has been protracted and clunky for both the tenant and the landlord, with it taking a considerable amount of time and effort to gather the fragmented components required from both parties.

We’ve spent three years developing the Rent proposition in order to change this and the result is the UK’s first rental platform combining these various components into one super slick user experience.

We’ve been sure that this approach is focussed as much on the landlord user experience as it is the tenant and not only does it take the pain out of finding a tenant, but they also save a considerable sum in agent commissions."

Source: www.thepropertydaily.co.uk

A new online property letting website has been launched, offering to cut out the role of traditional letting agents and the fees which they charge landlords.

Rentd, which puts landlords and tenants directly in touch with each other, aims to create a marketplace for the private rental sector without levying traditional estate agent fees.

The new business intends to make money by finding and securing tenants for landlords at a fixed fee of £799 including VAT, only payable once let.

Rentd says that its proposition is not just about potentially saving landlords money in agency fees but is also ‘centered on an end to end experience, utilising revolutionary technology to save landlords and tenants time, while creating greater certainty and reliability’.

Rentd yesterday announced that it has raised £250,000 in fresh investment at a post money valuation of £5m, allowing them to begin the roll out of the business across London with the UK national market and international territories to follow soon.

Investors in this round include wealth management partners, owners of global advisory firm, the AHR Group.

This initial funding will fuel a significant marketing effort and ongoing technology along with native app development, according to founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal.

He commented: “Up until now, the process of completing a rental transaction from start to finish has been protracted and clunky for both the tenant and the landlord, with it taking a considerable amount of time and effort to gather the fragmented components required from both parties.

“We’ve spent three years developing the Rent proposition in order to change this and the result is the UK’s first rental platform combining these various components into one super slick user experience.

“We’ve been sure that this approach is focussed as much on the landlord user experience as it is the tenant and not only does it take the pain out of finding a tenant, but they also save a considerable sum in agent commissions.”

Source: Property Industry Eye

UK-based start-to-finish lettings platform Rentd has raised £250,000 at a valuation of £5 million. The fresh capital will enable the startup to begin the roll out of the business across London with the U.K. and international territories to follow soon. Investors in this round include Wealth Management Partners, owners of global advisory firm, the AHR Group.

The newly launched property platform finds and secures tenants for landlords at a fixed fee of just £799, including VAT, only payable once let. This is a considerable saving compared to the typical commission of £1,750 and one that can help boost buy-to-let profit margins following a string of government legislations designed to do the opposite.

The Rentd proposition is not just about saving landlords a lot of money and it is also centered on an end-to-end experience, utilising revolutionary technology to save landlords and tenants time, while creating greater certainty and reliability. Its features include more specific and tenant-friendly search experiences, 3D Virtual walkthrough for every property listed on the platform, tenant referencing and lettings agreement.

Founder and CEO of Rentd, Ahmed Gamal, said: “Up until now, the process of completing a rental transaction from start to finish has been protracted and clunky for both the tenant and the landlord, with it taking a considerable amount of time and effort to gather the fragmented components required from both parties. We’ve spent three years developing the proposition in order to change this and the result is the UK’s first rental platform combining these various components into one super slick user experience.”

Source: www.tech.eu