BTL Landlords Express Growing Confidence in the Market’s Outlook

Shawbrook’s recent Changing Face of Buy-to-Let Report indicates that confidence is growing among the UK’s BTL landlord community, even as unprecedented living-cost increases take a toll on the country’s collective spending power.

The results of the survey conducted by Shawbrook found that 67% of landlords are confident about the market’s outlook for the rest of the year. Furthermore, 34% of the landlords surveyed said they intend to purchase at least one additional property to add to their portfolio before the end of 2022.

Potential tax incentives associated with setting up limited companies to purchase BTL properties are also appealing to more prospective buyers than ever before. According to Shawbrook, almost 30% of the brokers they reached out to said that 75% or more of their clients were considering a limited company establishment.

“Our own forecasts point to a buy-to-let market of around £44 billion in 2022. This is slightly down on last year, with fewer new purchases without the stamp duty incentives,” said Stephanie Charman, head of strategic relationships at Sesame Bankhall Group.

Rising Rents Yields Remain Attractive

In spite of ongoing interest rate hikes and skyrocketing living-cost increases, private landlords remain incentivised by the prospect of record-high monthly rents in many areas of the UK.

Average monthly rents are at an all-time high, yet a recent poll carried out by the Social Market Foundation (SMF) found that more than 80% of private renters are satisfied with their current homes. Furthermore, 85% expressed satisfaction with their landlords.

The study also found that around 50% of private renters see themselves exiting the private rental sector within the next 15 years in order to buy their own homes and get on the property ladder. Just 13% said they would be happy to continue renting long-term, suggesting that most private renters would prefer to buy and own their own homes.

Property prices continue to climb at the fastest rate on record, making it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to breathe life into their dreams of homeownership.

“Given the challenges facing prospective first-time buyers in stepping on to the property ladder, the private rental sector continues to play a vital role in fulfilling the UK’s housing needs,” said Charman.

EPC Requirements to Cost Landlords £5,900 to £10,400

By 2025, it will be a legal requirement for all new buy-to-let tenancies to have a minimum energy efficiency rating of C, which will also apply to existing tenancies by 2028.

This policy alteration will affect the vast majority of landlords across the UK, and is estimated to bring costs ranging from £5,900 to £10,400 per buy-to-let property for the necessary renovations and improvements.

According to Shawbrook, just 17% of landlords have already taken steps to boost their properties’ energy efficiency ratings, among which boiler replacements and new windows/doors have been the most common refurbishments to date.