Rents, House Parties and Publishing Scams
We get reaction and analysis to new ONS data on rental costs. Plus, as more nightclubs close we find out where Gen Z are partying instead and meet a firm cashing in on this trend.
Today the ONS releases new stats on the cost of renting. They come after a report earlier this week found the gap between average rents in the north and south has reached its narrowest in over a decade. We find out whatβs been happening, why, and how tenants feel it will affect their plans.
Figures shared exclusively with us by the Night Time Industry Association show over a third of Britainβs nightclubs have closed since 2020. But that doesnβt mean Gen Z are staying in and cultivating wholesome hobbies at home instead. Some are driving hundreds of miles to attend professionally organised house parties in strangers' homes that boast top name DJs and confetti cannons. We attend one in Manchester to meet the company organising it and speak to revellers to find out why theyβve come and whether they've told the neighbours.
If your dream night βout, outβ involved seeing Oasis, you have just over a day to tell the Competition and Markets Authority about your experience getting tickets to see the band from Ticketmaster. It's part of the regulator's investigation into the firmβs use dynamic pricing. The CMA tells us itβs not looking at the practice beyond this case. However, the FT reckons almost one in three retailers use it in some way. We find out why its become so common.
Finally, everyone (it seems) has a book in them and 300 million self-published titles were sold last year. Now unscrupulous businesses and outright scammers are targeting authors who want to get their work in print. We meet one writer who's been impacted and find out what you should check if a company is offering to publish your work for a fee.
Presenter: Shari Vahl
Producer: Julian Paszkiewicz