Foxtons Lettings Market Index: Applicant demand up 19% in June

Foxtons, London’s main lettings agent, reveal that applicant demand rose 19% from Might to June, as London enters the height lettings season.

This was consistent with tendencies seen final 12 months, with applicant demand broadly flat in comparison with June 2022(-1%). Opposite to the general pattern, applicant demand in each the South and West areas was greater, 12 months on 12 months, with demand in South London up 7% 12 months to this point.

Foxtons discovered that common weekly hire has dipped barely (2%) in comparison with Might 2023, now sitting slightly below £600. Central London continued to have the very best common weekly hire at £680, 21% greater than in North London, which held the second highest common at £560 per week.

Nevertheless, common weekly rental costs are 12% greater than June 2022. Regardless of provide and demand dynamics wanting extra predictable as summer time approaches, the underlying imbalance available in the market remained excessive, with a scarcity of rental inventory inflicting intense competitors for properties and underpinning greater rental costs.

The typical rental price range elevated 2% month-on-month, reaching £529 per week, and was up 8% year-on-year. Common budgets reached £572 in Central, 6% greater than June 2022, however East has skilled the very best 12 months on 12 months enhance with budgets up 12%.

In June, the market confirmed a ten% enhance in new listings in comparison with Might, consistent with typical lettings seasonality. June 2023 noticed virtually 35,500 new listings, which was over 4,000 listings greater than final June, in keeping with Foxtons’ evaluation of Zoopla knowledge. Over 20% of recent directions, 12 months to this point, have been inside Westminster and Tower Hamlets.

In June the ratio of recent renters per new instruction was down 5% month-on-month, and down 9% year-on-year. Nevertheless, at 17 renters per new instruction, this was solely barely down in June 2022 the place Foxtons noticed 18 renters to each new instruction. Central was the one area the place renter demand elevated, up 9% in June. Nevertheless, West and South continued to see the very best ranges of demand, each having 25 renters per new instruction.

The share of rental budgets spent to safe a property fell for the primary time in 2023. Renters spent 99% of their budgets on common, a 2% lower from Might. This was up 3% year-on-year. Though renters in Central London continued to spend the very best proportions of their budgets to safe a property at 103%, Central really noticed the biggest lower in renter spend, month on month.

 Sarah Tonkinson, Managing Director of Institutional PRS and Construct to Lease, stated, “Whereas London noticed over 4,000 extra new listings than it did final June, partially addressing the fast-growing want for houses, demand is already on the rise – 19% up month on month in June – and August and September mark the standard summer time peak.

“There will probably be fierce competitors this 12 months. We’ll want extra provide now, in addition to strategic homebuilding within the coming years, to proceed to attract expertise into our workforce and public sectors from throughout the nation and world wide.”