Jonathan Start has 20 years of experience heading up Start and Co’s property management and rental departments. His team are responsible for handling Newquay’s largest rental portfolio and he welcomes new landlords on a regular basis. We asked Jonathan a few key questions about what will be happening in 2019.

What can we expect to see immediately in early 2019? 

We are expecting a significant influx of people moving to Cornwall in 2019.  All these people will be looking to rent long term or looking to buy eventually but will rent in the short time while they are looking. New Year truly does mean a new start for many and we always see people looking for a change in their lives and Newquay is a hotspot for that ambition. 

So, if they are looking in January when do properties start to fill up?

 If you have a property ready to go and available, we can fill it very quickly. (Check out Starts Guide to getting your house rental ready).

We are certainly expecting that by March all of those looking in January and February will have found rental properties. March is a key time as it is the beginning of the tourism season and also the time of better weather that many have in their minds when they dream of moving to Newquay.

Will you have enough properties to rent out?

Demand always outweighs what we have available early in the year.  It is a perfect time to become a landlord and get tenants in place. If you are considering becoming a landlord for the first time, or you are an experienced landlord we would encourage you to start talking to our team now, so we can get you set up for next year. 

What kind of properties are most popular?

The majority of tenants are professionals with families. They have moved to the area and have either run their own businesses, work remotely or have professional level jobs. Cornwall has the highest level of growing businesses in the UK and we are seeing the rental market that comes with this. The most popular properties are modern or fully renovated properties with a good energy rating. They will have 2-3 bedrooms, parking and outside space. 

We do also get couples so good 2-bedroom properties are also always popular. 

Do you see an increase in fees and rental prices in 2019?

 We had a strong 2018 but we are living in uncertain times and this has had the effect of stabilising rental prices. Rental values are holding, and landlords are achieving rental prices, but we are not expecting an increase in 2019. Tenants are looking for value for money across all aspects of their lives and their property will be one of those factors. Start and Co will be maintaining its 7% fee level for landlords with no increase therefore keeping value for money for landlords as well.

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