Sluggish rent rises and higher taxes deter overseas b...

The proportion of let properties in the UK owned by overseas landlords is at its lowest in almost a decade, new figures show.

The proportion of homes let by international landlords in Great Britain has dropped sharply from 14.4% in the first half of 2010 to 5.8% in the first 11 months of 2018, according to Hamptons International’s latest letting index.

Every region recorded a fall in foreign-based landlords, but London has seen the most significant decline with the proportion of homes let by an overseas based landlord falling 15.5% since 2010 to reach one in ten (10.5%) of homes let so far this year, down from just over a quarter (26%) of homes let in London in 2010.

However, London still has the highest proportion of homes let by an international based landlord than in any other region.

Elsewhere, the proportion of overseas based landlords has fallen 10% in the South East since 2010, followed by the North East (-6%) and East Midlands (-6%).

Proportion of homes let by an overseas based landlord:

	Great Britain	London
2010	14.4%	26.0%
2011	13.0%	23.5%
2012	11.5%	21.1%
2013	10.6%	19.6%
2014	10.5%	20.2%
2015	8.8%	16.6%
2016	7.9%	15.2%
2017	7.8%	14.7%
2018 (Jan-Nov)	5.8%	10.5%

Source: Hamptons International

Outside the capital, Yorkshire & the Humber has the highest proportion of homes let by an overseas based landlord (6.7%), but this region has only seen a -4% fall in overseas based landlords since 2010.

Proportion of overseas based landlords by region:

Region	Proportion of overseas based landlords (2018)	Change since 2010	Change since 2016
London	10.5%	-15%	-5%
Yorkshire and the Humber	6.7%	-4%	0%
South East	6.1%	-10%	-3%
Scotland	6.1%	-5%	-2%
South West	5.6%	-5%	-1%
East	5.6%	-3%	-2%
North West	5.4%	-3%	-1%
North East	5.3%	-6%	-2%
West Midlands	4.4%	-2%	-2%
East Midlands	3.5%	-6%	-1%
Wales	3.3%	-3%	-3%

Source: Hamptons International

Western Europeans make up the biggest group of overseas based landlords (34%), followed by Asian (20%) and North American (13%). However, since 2010 the proportion of Western European based landlords has fallen by -2.1%, compensated for by a pickup in Asian landlords (+2.1%). Middle Eastern based landlords have also risen by 1.4% since 2010 and now account for 11% of overseas based landlords

Where overseas based landlords come from (2018)

	Proportion of overseas based landlords	Change since 2010
Western Europe	34%	-2.1%
Asia	20%	2.1%
North America	13%	0.0%
Oceania	12%	0.5%
Middle East	11%	1.4%
Africa	7%	-1.2%
South America	3%	-0.9%
Eastern Europe	1%	0.1%

Source: Hamptons International

The average cost of a new let in Great Britain rose 1.1% year-on-year in November to stand at £968 pcm. Every region in Great Britain recorded a rise in average rents, but the East of England saw the strongest growth (2.9%), followed by Scotland (2.5%) and Wales (1.9%). Meanwhile Greater London saw the slowest rental growth, with rents rising 0.1% year-on-year.

New lets (pcm)

Region	Nov-18	Nov-17	YoY
East of England	£ 958	£ 931	2.9%
Greater London	£ 1,704	£ 1,702	0.1%
Inner London	£ 2,612	£ 2,582	1.2%
Outer London	£ 1,532	£ 1,535	-0.2%
Scotland	£ 663	£ 647	2.5%
South East England	£ 1,034	£ 1,021	1.2%
South West England	£ 801	£ 787	1.7%
Wales	£ 658	£ 646	1.9%
Midlands	£ 685	£ 676	1.3%
North	£ 639	£ 629	1.5%
Great Britain	£ 968	£ 958	1.1%

Source: Hamptons International

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