renters on Somerset Dailyhttps://somersetdaily.co.uk/tags/renters/Recent content in renters on Somerset DailyHugo -- gohugo.ioen-usSat, 25 Apr 2026 04:31:00 +0000'Death of the High Street' - Rising Costs Threaten Somerset Estate Agents and Rentershttps://somersetdaily.co.uk/death-of-the-high-street-rising-costs-threaten-somerset-estate-agents-and-renters/Sat, 25 Apr 2026 04:31:00 +0000https://somersetdaily.co.uk/death-of-the-high-street-rising-costs-threaten-somerset-estate-agents-and-renters/A significant increase in business rates and upcoming changes to tenants' rights are casting a shadow over Somerset’s local estate agency sector. Tor Estates, with offices in Street and Glastonbury, report a staggering 50% rise in their business rates—from under £10,000 to £15,000 for the new financial year. This steep hike has forced the agency to consider layoffs, sparking concerns about the future of the High Street. Mel Brown, director of Tor Estates, told Somerset Live, “With all these extra government-imposed costs, it feels like the death of the High Street.