'Things are starting to pick up' for landlords

The recent increase in rental prices is good news for landlords, according to one property expert.

Chris Horne, editor of landlord information website Property Hawk, said that although prices have fallen over the last two years, they are now beginning to rise again.

His comments follow the publication of research by Direct Line for Business, which revealed that 30 per cent of landlords are worried about not receiving rent from tenants and some are cutting back on insurance to save money.

"Over the last six months, our research shows that rent has actually risen by 2.2 per cent," Mr Home stated.

He added that landlords need to make sure that their properties are fully let and avoid any empty periods.

This news comes after Residential Rental Price Index statistics published on the Rentright website revealed that there has been a rise in rental prices, from £564 in July 2009 to £674 in September.