Chris, Banbury. You are spot on.

I know someone who rents out property and surprise, surprise the only one's she can get tenents for are the cheaply priced one's!!

THERE IS NOT A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING IN THE UK!!!!

Richard, Ipswich,

Rents to rise 20 per cent. Great news. Rental payments were never taken out of inflation calculations so this should mean interest rates will rise more, causing house prices to decrease more. Landlords may make a bit more per month but their asset is getting hammered.

Edward, London,

Landlords can dream on about a 20% increase in rents. If only it were that simple. People just do not have the money. They will be defaulting on the rent just as people are defaulting on the mortgage. The dream of ever rising rents is as foolish as ever rising house prices.

Chris, Banbury,

You can and should negotiate a discount with your landlord.It is certainly a renter´s market now and a whopping 25-30% is possible for many.

Paul Sweeney, Madrid, Spain

Rents are rising?
Where is this coming from?
There are plenty of empty properties to rent.
Where are all the homeless if houses are in such short supply?
Lack of BTL purchases = rents rising?!
These are to kind of scare tatics that got into this mess that now threatens the whole economy!

Robin, MK, UK

Homeowners? You mean mortgagees or mortgage slaves, surely? Cannot see many homeOWNERS running into trouble.

PT, Tynemouth, UK

Agreed Allan, i sold my house back in Jan 07 (thank god) and have rented ever since. From the turn of the year every rental house i have looked at was once for sale, i am seeing rents come down because of all the additional houses coming on the rental market which before would have been sold.

Steve, Edgware, UK

We are only at the beginning of the biggest crash ever. Desperate measures will soon intensify until people try to walk away - flooding the market with repossession properties. As for rents rising - no sign of that near me - a last ditch bid by lettings companies to keep failing landlords on board?

Clint, Brighton, UK

No sign of rents rising. I've just negotiated a discount of 10% off my landlord - admittedly it is a 5 bed house of which many are now available to rent as unsuccessful sellers look at means to stay afloat.

Mike Livingtone, Reigate, UK

“We expect rents to rise by 20 per cent over the next 12 months. There are less buy-to-let properties being purchased and therefore less rented accommodation available, which will keep costs high.”

Or maybe rents will hold or drop as the btl market in most cities is saturated causing oversupply?

Le Tundoir, Liverpool, England!

Old habits are hard to break. We borrowed ourselves into the credit crisis with a little help from the banks and now we think we can borrow ourselves out of it (again with a little help from the banks).. Maybe if I borrowed at 21% from my CC for a few months I could just ride this through. GOOD LUCK

Glynn, Canada,

“We expect rents to rise by 20 per cent over the next 12 months.
I feel that this quote is untrue. As property valuations fall during the present crash then so to will rents.
It is a myth to suggest that there willl be increased demand for rental property.

Allan, Inverness,

How have we come to this as as responsible adults in Britain? Why has the appearance of success clouded our judgement so? Unfortunately, our country is not just fiscally bankrupt, but morally as well. Politicians and lawmakers have not been taking due care of the population and need to be punished.

Stephen, Aberdeen,