THERE has been a substantial increase in tenant demand in Stroud in the opening months of 2015, with the town currently outperforming national trends.

Perry Bishop & Leaders’ statistics for the area show 2014 was an incredibly successful period and this year appears set to once again reach new highs.

The number of new tenancies in Stroud rose from 75 in 2013 to 155 last year - an increase of 51 per cent.

This is some way ahead of the company’s national average of 3.5 per cent.

Elaine Dunlop, branch manager at Perry Bishop & Leaders said: “The increase in the number of tenancies created in Stroud shows that we really are ahead of the curve. Stroud is a great area for buy-to-let investors and is a popular choice for a range of tenants, from young professionals to families and retirees.

“On the right property, yields of over five per cent can be achieved. Two-bedroom houses are increasingly popular and represented the largest share of the lets we agreed last year - at 46 per cent overall.

“We have certainly seen tenant demand is consistently growing year-on-year and would actively encourage any landlords looking at either investing in Stroud or letting out a property in the town to strike while the iron is hot.

“The early signs are that 2015 will be every bit as successful as last year in the lettings market.”

On average, a two-bedroom property in Stroud generated a typical monthly rental income of £617 last year, and this rose to £751 per calendar month for three-bedroom properties and £1,096 in the case of four-bedroom properties.

There is clearly a substantial return to be enjoyed by those landlords who operate in the town.

As well as an increase in the number of new tenancies, Perry Bishop & Leaders in Stroud also saw a 48 per cent increase in the number of new applicants coming to the market - up to 1,932 in 2014 from 1,001 the previous year.

This can provide landlords with even more confidence that their tenanted properties will be occupied by quality tenants at all times.

For more information about buy-to-let opportunities in Stroud, please contact Elaine Dunlop and her team at Perry Bishop & Leaders at 29 Lansdown or by calling on 01453 756100.

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