For most in the housing market, the recession brought nothing but bad news. But over 6,000 tenants in England and Wales have benefitted from the downturn according to the latest research by easyroommate.co.uk.

London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/15/2010 -- Landlords relax rules to keep properties occupied

For most in the housing market, the recession brought nothing but bad news. But over 6,000 tenants in England and Wales have benefitted from the downturn according to the latest research by easyroommate.co.uk.

From 2004 until 2008, the number of tenant evictions rose by over 8%, peaking in the third quarter of 2007 with nearly 15,000. But since the middle of 2008, the number of landlords trying to remove tenants from their property has decreased by over 11% - down to 12,300 in the third quarter of 2009.

This drop in evictions comes despite the growth in tenants arrears. As recession-driven redundancies, and cuts to pay and bonuses, have taken their toll, thousands more tenants have fallen behind with the rent. In a National Landlords Association survey in October, 43% of landlords said they had had tenants in arrears over the course of the previous 12 months.

Jonathan Moore of easyroommate.co.uk said: "In the boom years, when house prices and rents were rising, many landlords were keen to kick out tenants who were late with the rent. They'd take cases to the courts as soon they could to remove a tenant in arrears because they knew that would mean increasing the rent when they got a new tenant in, or selling the place to capitalise on inflated house prices. But in 2008, house prices stopped rising, and an empty property became a landlord's worst nightmare. In the current housing market, landlords are doing all they can to keep tenants in their properties or roomshare - even if it involves more leniency towards late rent payments."

The downturn has been so severe, it has driven many landlords out of the market. According to the CML, the number of buy-to-let mortgage possessions in the year ending in the third quarter of 2009 was three times higher than the same period for 2007.

To ensure mortgage payments can be made landlords have had to be flexible. Many have given tenants payment holidays to help overcome short-term cash problems, or relaxed rules regarding sub-letting. Others have reduced rents to ensure their properties don't stay empty. Findaproperty.com calculated that average rents in Great Britain dropped by £25 per month in 2009 .

Jonathan Moore concludes: "The recession has caused misery for thousands in the UK - but thousands of student tenants and professional flatshare occupants have benefitted as the rules of the game have changed. A couple of years' ago they'd have been out on their ears if they fell behind with the rent. But now that landlords are keen to avoid long void periods, rents have become more flexible and tenants have found it a lot easier to keep a roof over their heads."

Notes to Editors
The number of evictions is based on figures provided by the Ministry of Justice for the number of possession claims made by landlords which lead to an outright possession order in England and Wales (Q3 2003 - Q3 2009). These include claims by all types of landlords, whether social or private. Claims leading to suspended orders have not been included as they do not necessarily lead to eviction - a civil judge sets a date by which arrears must be settled before a tenant faces a possession order. However, it is also possible for a tenant to be evicted without a possession order.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

1 in 4 cohabiting couples who split still living together in negative equity

London, England -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/27/2010 -- Couples that break up are being forced to live together for longer as the tough economic climate continues to bite. More than one in four couples (28%) who split up now have no choice but to continue living together, according to a survey by flat and houseshare website http://uk.easyroommate.com/ .Of those who continued to live together 74% found the experience stressful (although a contrary 2% said they enjoyed it). Of those who had to share after their break-up, 65% said they'd rather they or their partner had moved out sooner.

For most, financial pressures are the reason they can't make a clean break. 63% of couples who end up having to living together post break-up do so because they can't afford to live separately.

For homeowners, things can be tougher still. Negative equity is trapping a significant number of those forced to stay under the same roof (both divorcing and unmarried cohabiting couples who are splitting up). Around one in forty couples have to live together because they are stuck in negative equity misery. On average, those homeowners affected are in negative equity to the tune of £12,000. These couples would have to wait 8 months for that sum to be recovered through property price growth alone.

Jonathan Moore of http://uk.easyroommate.com/ said: "Relationships don't always work out, but the recession is preventing even more couples from making a clean break when they split up. Difficulties in selling houses, negative equity hell and not being able to afford to move out are forcing more people to carry on living with their exes. Needless to say, this is usually awkward and distressing. Unfortunately, those same financial stresses that make the breakup process so difficult are often a key reason for the breakup. And although people are aware of the negative equity trap that many divorcing couples face – few realise the heartache this is causing cohabiting couples who have split up – they are a forgotten group. "

Taking in a lodger offers financial support to many couples looking to cope post split. Where one partner has moved out, over a third (35%) of those remaining in the house have decided to take in a lodger. The overwhelming majority of these (85%) have done so to earn more cash to continue living in the same house and help manage bills, mortgages, rent, and other costs – although 9% wanted to get someone into the house to make it feel more like a home after their partner left.

Not everyone is stuck and flatsharing can offer a haven for couples who split having lived together. Of those people who are able to move out, 36% move into a flatshare following a breakup while 28% move back in with parents, 19% move into their own rented accommodation and 9% purchase a new home. The majority of people who choose to flatshare find it the cheapest way to live in their chosen area (64%), 14% choose to flatshare to expand their circle of friends and kick-start their social life while 13% would rather flatshare than live alone.

Jonathan Moore said: "There are options for people living together after a relationship ends. Moving into a flatshare can offer an escape route – and is usually more affordable than renting alone. Flatsharing also offers the opportunity to meet new people and avoid loneliness. For those whose ex-partner has moved out, taking in a lodger can help meet the additional costs of paying a mortgage or rent."

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

London, London -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/26/2010 -- Tightening personal budgets and the wider economic climate have made room letting increasingly appealing for both those looking for somewhere to live and those with rooms to rent out.

Renting a room in a large spacious house can be more appealing than a small bedsit and less expensive, also you don't have to sign up to a six month contract. Or maybe work your circumstances have changed and now you need a base from Monday to Friday somewhere else in the country, there are actually endless reasons why room letting and house sharing are becoming more popular.

People are also looking to take in a lodger to give themselves some extra cash. Landlords are also looking at the potential gains that can be made by letting out properties as single rooms and the economic advantages of not using a letting agent.

http://Easyroommate.com, the UK's premier flat and house share exchange website, offers valuable advice to those people looking for a share and those people with a room to rent out.

Taking in a lodger:

- Be sure to do relevant sense and document checks and get tenant to sign an agreement. Set out all terms and agreements in writing and get all parties to sign although it does not form a private tenancy agreement it does give you some protection. Lodger legal agreements can be sourced online relatively cheaply. Tenant checks and referencing can also be sourced online to give you further peace of mind
- Advertise the room online there are a number of sites it's relatively cheap to become a member and listing is free. It allows you to proactively contact people rather than having to wait for the phone to ring in the case of standard advertising, it's like online dating. It also allows you to vet any potential by looking at their profiles. Include high quality pictures of the room and property itself. Include a detailed description of the property, if you don't make the effort nor will the person looking
- Tell the potential tenant about the property and the area, let them know about the transport links, local facilities, etc
- Be specific about the type of tenant you are looking for. Tell the potential tenant about you and your lifestyle, it'll help them decide if you're a good match and you'll tend to get a more suitable person contacting you
- The room itself should be neutrally decorated and may need to include a bed / wardrobe depending on the tenants needs
- Make any house rules and living boundaries clear from the outset
- Assess the rent to charge by benchmarking online against other properties available online
- Make it clear what is included in the rent, are bills inclusive? Making bills inclusive can save future difficulties and hassle. It is also a good idea to collect monthly rent by direct debit
- Be aware you need to tell your mortgage lender if you take in a lodger because it may change the terms of your mortgage agreement

Looking for a room:

- Try to be clear about the length of time you need the room, short lets and Monday to Friday lets are available so you don't need to get tied in
- List your profile on the house and flatsharing websites. List an honest overview of yourself so you get the best share for you, don't pretend you're something you're not! It won't suit your housemates and you won't feel comfortable.
- Make sure you clearly understand the house rules if you have a live in landlord, it will lead to happier home!
- Make clear anything you'll need in the room / house, e.g. TV aerial, bed, wardrobe, Sky TV.
- Make clear your working hours and understand those of your housemates
- Think about economies of scale, larger house shares may include a sizeable garden and facilities and maybe cheaper. Do consider how many people you want to share with though!
- You may want to consider insurance, there are companies who offer a shared property contents insurance giving you more peace of mind

Easyroommate.com is a leading UK flatshare website, for more information on available rooms to let across the UK visit http://uk.easyroommate.com/

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm