Half of landlords plan to grow property portfolios in next year
Some 52% of buy-to-let landlords added to their property portfolios in the last 12 months with more than planning to do so in the next 12 months.
Half of buy-to-let landlords plan to bolster their property portfolios even further as tenant demand continues to swell, research from The Mortgage Lender reveals.
Some 52% of residential landlords using finance added to their property portfolios in the last 12 months, with 25% having added a single property and a further 27% adding multiple.
MULTIPLE PROPERTIES
And expansion continues to be on the agenda for more than half of buy-to-let landlords with a quarter (26%) planning to add another single property to their roster and the same amount (26%) planning to add multiple properties.
And despite some recent gloomy headlines nearly three quarters of landlords (74%) say that they have confidence in the residential property market over the next 12 months.
Residential landlords have also been keen to diversify their portfolios across different property types (21%) and regions across the UK (21%), while 20% added to their portfolio because they wanted to buy a property with a better Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating.
Some landlords though have been looking to sell due to higher mortgage rates and as they look to de-risk their portfolios with nearly a third (31%) having sold one or more of their properties in the last 12 months and a similar amount (33%) planning to do so in the next year.
IMPORTANT ROLE
Chris Kirby, Head of Key Accounts and Specialist Distribution at The Mortgage Lender, says: “Buy-to-let plays an important role in the residential property market, ensuring that there continues to be a good supply of quality and well-maintained rental properties to meet consumer demand.

“Last year’s high inflationary and interest rate environment saw unsettled confidence levels among prospective homebuyers, though for residential landlords our research shows they have not been as discouraged.”
He adds: “Many are taking opportunities to grow their portfolios, and with rates reducing, average rents increasing and house price growth predicted, landlords have good reason to be optimistic.
“It certainly paints a positive picture and highlights the continued interest in buy-to-let as an asset class.”
May I ask – what percentage of all new buyers of BTL properties are purchased privately or through limited companies?
Plus what is your recommendation re which tax option is most favourable?