Report shows majority of landlords still committed to buy-to-let

Some 84% of landlords are committed to the buy-to-let market and eager to maintain or grow the number of properties in their portfolios over the next year, according to a special report from The Mortgage Lender.

The intermediary-only lender produced the bespoke research, named Buy to let: The Landlord Experience, which found that half of all residential landlords believe that tax changes have reduced the number of private landlords operating in the sector. By contrast, only 1% think the government’s interventions have led to an increase in the quality of rental property.

The report also highlighted that only one in eight landlords is seeking out specialist tax advice to help them manage their portfolio, while only four in ten are utilising a specialist buy-to-let mortgage broker when arranging their borrowing.

Other key findings from the report revealed that the most common number of properties for landlords is between two and four (45%), while 11% of landlords are now using a limited company structure for their investments. Some 16%, meanwhile, are looking to cut the number of properties they have over the next 12 months.

The top three concerns that keep landlords awake at night, the research found, are property maintenance, care of property and tenant behaviour.

“Our special report provides an in-depth guide to the buy to let market, including landlord obligations and yields around the country,” Peter Beaumont, The Mortgage Lender deputy chief executive, said. “Our panel of landlords have shared their worries and opinions with us and we’ve included landlord case studies to demonstrate the depth of borrower circumstances we are dealing with on a regular basis.”

Doug Hall, director at mortgage packager and distributor 3mc, said the report is a ‘must read for any brokers operating in the buy-to-let space’ as well as being a downloadable guide for landlords who want to know which areas of the country will provide the best yields.

“It provides a snapshot of how landlords feel about the market, their tenants and the impact the myriad of changes has had on their portfolio intentions,” Hall added.

The Mortgage Lender this year launched Help to Buy residential mortgages and its first buy-to-let remortgage product, while also completing its first UK mortgage-backed securitisation of residential assets for £238.5 million.

You can download the full special report here.