‘Studio flats out and two-bed houses in’ for renters searching for homes

14 October 2020, 00:04

Renters are looking for spare rooms where they can work from home, Rightmove said.

Two-bedroom houses have replaced studio flats as the most in-demand type of property for renters, according to a website.

Last month, two-bedroom houses, followed by two-bedroom bungalows, were the most popular types of properties for renters, as tenants look for spare rooms to work from home, Rightmove said.

Studio flats came eighth on the list.

A year earlier, in September 2019, studio flats were the most in demand.

Rightmove calculated the popularity of different property types by comparing the number of inquiries from tenants with the volume of such properties available.

To make their properties more attractive to home workers, some landlords are being advised by their agents to convert parts of living rooms into workspaces and install high-speed broadband, the report said.

The research into Britain’s rental market also found that the average asking rent outside London has hit a record high of £964 per month, driven by strong demand in the sector, particularly in the South West of England and northern regions.

Rightmove’s commercial director Miles Shipside said: “Landlords with a large portfolio of studio flats may find they need to accept lower rents than over the past few years, although let’s not forget that overall rents have gone up by £100 per month outside London and £140 in the capital over the past five years, so those with a longer-term view will still be able to make some good returns.

“It will be the accidental landlords that have one property that need a good agent more than ever, to promote the attractive attributes of their buy-to-lets.

“I’ve heard from some agents that they’re now advising their landlords to turn part of the living room into a work-from-home space, or offering to install high-speed broadband for tenants as an added incentive.

“The rise in demand for properties that have more space and that typically have higher rents is helping push up average rents to new record highs.”

Here are the most in-demand property types in September, according to Rightmove:

1. Two-bedroom house

2. Two-bedroom bungalow

3. Three-bedroom house

4. Three-bedroom bungalow

5. One-bedroom house

6. Four-bedroom house

7. One-bedroom flat

8. Studio flat

9. Two-bedroom flat

10. Five-bedroom house