The number of homes in the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ being bought and let out by overseas landlords is on the rise.

A total of 11 per cent of properties in Britain are now rented out by owners from abroad - up from seven per cent in 2018 but down from 14 per cent in 2010 - according to the Hamptons International Lettings Index.

London has the highest number of homes let by overseas landlords (18 per cent) - up from 10 per cent during the first 10 months of 2018 - followed by the East of England (14 per cent).

Meanwhile, Wales has the lowest number of homes let by non-º£½ÇÊÓÆµ landlords (-2 per cent) and was the only region to record a fall compared with 2018.

The rise in landlords from abroad has been driven by the depreciation of the pound, the report found.

London has the highest number of homes let by overseas landlords

The majority of these international home owners live in Western Europe (33 per cent) and Asia (20 per cent) but US landlords have increased the most over the period, rising to 14 per cent in 2019 - 1.9 per cent higher than five years ago.

The average º£½ÇÊÓÆµ home cost £53,065 (or 23 per cent) less than it did in 2014 for a US dollar buyer – due to a fall in the value of the pound.Ìý

The stamp duty bill on a second home purchase would be £9,140. In London, the average property would save a US dollar buyer £107,030 compared with 2014.

However, the proportion of overseas landlords from the Middle East fell the most since 2014.

Middle Eastern investors made up nine per cent of all overseas-based landlords in Britain - 2.4 per cent fewer than in 2014.

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Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons International, said: “The proportion of homes let by overseas based landlords rose for the first time in more than nine years.Ìý

"The East and London recorded the biggest increases. Sterling’s depreciation has made investment property in Great Britain more attractive to international investors."

Meanwhile, rental growth in the South of England outstripped the North.Ìý

Nationally, rents rose 2.2 per cent in October, but rents in the South East rose 3.9 per cent compared with a -0.6 per cent fall in the North.Ìý It was the first annual rental fall in the North for 17 months.

The areas of the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ with the most overseas landlords


Ìý

% of homes let byÌýoverseasÌýbased landlords (2019 YTD)

YoY change in the % of homes let byÌýoverseasÌýlandlords

Average

Price

Discount from £ depreciation against US$ since 2014

Average stamp duty bill (including 3% surcharge for second homeowners)

London

18%

8%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 469,640 -£ÌýÌýÌý 107,030 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 27,570 Ìý
Yorkshire & the Humber

10%

3%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 162,500 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 37,030 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 5,630 Ìý
South East

13%

7%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 321,580 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 73,290

Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 15,730

Ìý
Scotland

6%

0%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 151,040 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 34,420 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 5,050 Ìý
South West

9%

4%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 255,540 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 58,240 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 10,440 Ìý
East of England

14%

8%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 290,560 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 66,220 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 13,240 Ìý
North West

12%

7%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 163,700 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 37,310 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 5,690 Ìý
North East

10%

5%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 128,510 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 29,290 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 3,930 Ìý
West Midlands

5%

1%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 184,710 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 42,100 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 6,740 Ìý
East Midlands

5%

2%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 192,760 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 43,930 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 7,140 Ìý
Wales

2%

-2%

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 162,290 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 36,990 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 5,610 Ìý
Great Britain

Ìý11%

4%Ìý

£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 232,840 -£ÌýÌýÌýÌý 53,065 Ìý£ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý 9,140 Ìý