Tag Archives: business
Average property service charges in UK 96% higher on new builds
The average annual property service charge in Britain is £1,863 with the figure 96% higher for new build than older properties at an average of £2,777, new research shows. The survey also shows that some 33% of property management companies have increased service charges in the last two years and they vary between £1.55 per square foot to £7 per square foot. The research by landlord insurance provider, Direct Line for Business, reveals that the average service charge or fees leaseholders pay to cover their share of the overall building maintenance represents more than two months of the average monthly rental income received by landlords, which stands at £906. In addition to this, they will also have other costs to think about such as paying tax on these monies, mortgage payments, management and agency fees and any ground rent fees which are now on average £371 a year for a new build and £327 for a property before 2016. The service charges for new build properties, coming on the market in 2016 are significantly greater than for older dwellings at £2,777, indeed 96% higher than the average for an older property. Service charge levels also vary markedly between developments. One new build development coming onto the market in Croydon in 2016 will see home owners paying £1.55 per square foot in service charges, while a development in Lambeth coming onto the market in 2017 is charging four and a half times more at £7 per square foot. The research report points out that there is an increasing trend for new builds to include amenities such as libraries, 24 hour concierge services, gyms and cinema rooms that is contributing to the increased cost of service charges, but also offers added value for landlords looking to invest in this type of property. Recent moves by developers have seen more private housing stock owned by freeholders subject to service charges. Owners of freehold properties situated on private roads or private estates are being charged for upkeep of roads and gardens. In one example owners of every four-bedroom property situated on a development in Guildford are charged £900 a year for upkeep of the road and communal gardens. ‘Service charges are often a hidden cost, which should be factored in when considering the affordability of a property. In some cases service charges are uncapped and can escalate rapidly. Landlords need to take into account all associated costs when purchasing a property, such as service charges, ground rent and taxes that may impact their rental yield,’ said Nick Breton, head of Direct Line for Business . The method for calculating service charges also varies between developments. In some cases it is a flat rate for all properties, while for others it is determined by the number of bedrooms or the square footage of a property. Service charges usually cover repairs to communal areas of a development such as windows, drainage and the roof…. Continue reading
Average apartment prices up in Dubai but down in Abu Dhabi
Average apartment rents in Dubai increased by 3% in January compared to the previous month but amounts varied across property types, the latest data shows. Average rents reached an annual rate of AED138,000 overall with the market seeing some adjustments, according to the latest report from property portal Bayut. The firm also reports an improvement in yields for apartment property investors, reaching an average of just over 6% but these do vary according to property type, location and quality with some reaching up to 10%. One bedroom apartments recorded an average of AED97,000 in January, down 0.8% month on month while two and three bedroom rents were up 0.1% and 2.2% respectively AED151,000 and AED211,000. Rental values for four bed apartments also fell, down 2.2% in January compared to December 2015 to AED330,000. Yields improved across all apartment types. Studios offered average yields of 7.235, one bedroom apartment 6.4%, two bedroom apartments 5.7%, three bedroom apartments 5.3% and four bedroom apartments 3.55%. Dubai Marina remained the most popular locality for renting apartments in Dubai, followed by Jumeirah Lakes Towers. Bur Dubai, Downtown Dubai and Business Bay. In neighbouring Abu Dhabi rents are falling with values across all property types apart from three bedroom flats falling in January. The firm said that this could be the market adjusting to growth in 2015. Average apartment rents fell 5% from AED 141,000 in December 2015 to AED 135,000 in January. Studio apartment rents were down 3.6% to AED64,000, one bedrooms were down 1.3% to AED99,000, and two bedroom flats down 4% to AED136,000. Four bedroom apartment rents well the most by 4.6% to an average of AED252,000 while three bedroom apartments saw rents rise, up 2.3% to AED192,000. The firm also pointed out that although apartment rents fell last month in Abu Dhabi, average yields still offered a lot of value for investors, averaging 7% across all types. Yields for studios were 9.4%, one bedroom apartments 8%, two bedroom apartments 7.3%, three bedroom apartments 7.4% and four bedroom apartments 4.6%. In terms of popularity Al Reem Island, Al Raha Beach, Al Reef, Al Ghadeer and Saadiyat Island remained the top five locations for renting apartments in Abu Dhabi. Continue reading
Call for relaxation of mortgage affordability rules in UK
A relaxation of mortgage affordability rules in the UK could help more lifetime mortgage customers take up the option to make interest repayments initially before switching to a roll-up arrangement, it is claimed. Such a move for residential rather than lifetime lending could benefit consumers and encourage innovation, according to the Equity Release Council which has asked the Financial Conduct Authority to look into it. Amendments to the Mortgage Conduct of Business (MCOB) rules following the Mortgage Market Review (MMR) mean that lifetime mortgage contracts which permit, but do not require, consumers to pay interest for a period are subject to the requirement of providers to assess their affordability. This is despite the fact that payments of interest are always optional and that customers will never be at risk of losing their home as a result of being unable to continue with interest payments. As a result, says the ERC, some customers who would have taken out a lifetime mortgage giving them the option to repay interest for as long as they wished might not now pass affordability assessments, may be reluctant to subject themselves to the assessment process or be recommended alternative products. The Council has asked the FCA to consider whether a relaxation of rules originally designed for residential rather than lifetime mortgages would help more consumers unlock their housing wealth while protecting a larger amount of equity in their property. A relaxation might also support existing providers' ability to expand their product range and encourage new entrants. The request from the Council formed part of its evidence submission to the FCA's Call for Inputs on competition in the mortgage market. The FCA is set to outline next steps in the form of a summary statement in the first quarter of 2016. The Council's submission included a separate request for the FCA and Government to consider the long-term impacts of decisions relating to tax and regulation which may affect equity release lending. It also recommended that the FCA engages with the Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) to consider how equity release is currently funded, the extent to which current prudential requirements create barriers for firms and whether a broader approach could be taken which would enable alternative sources of funding to be accessed. ‘We welcome the proactive decision by the FCA to review whether there are any barriers to competition in the mortgage sector. Retirement lending is a crucial part of this and there needs to be careful consideration of the factors which differentiate residential and lifetime borrowing,’ said Nigel Waterson, chairman of the Equity Release Council. ‘As part of our wide-ranging input we highlighted that revisiting affordability rules may help more consumers to make use of options already offered by equity release providers in later life, as well as encouraging more new entrants to the market,’ he explained. ‘There is a growing recognition that equity release has an important part to play in the planning of funding for later life, and we look forward… Continue reading
