Rental demand staying strong

News surrounding the rental market serves as a reminder to landlords and tenants to make sure that their home insurance is in order.

Recent figures from the Communities and Local Government department show that number of people renting privately is now 3.1 million, compared to 2.1 million in 2001.

Research by the Association of Residential Letting Agents also suggests that the surplus of rental property is reducing.

Alan Ward, chairman of the Residential Landlords Association, said that these trends will continue, especially with so few houses on the market.

He added: We expect rental demand to remain strong for the foreseeable future, subject to government legislation not forcing landlords out of the market through more unnecessary legislation - in which case fewer properties could raise competition.

Earlier this year, John Boyle, the managing director of HomeLet, stressed the importance for landlords to have a proper home insurance policy as they are responsible for the buildings.

He said that landlords could not take the risk of being uninsured, especially with the freezing conditions playing havoc with boilers .