New data from a government survey of private landlords shows the true extent of the challenges faced by the buy-to-let sector.
The survey was carried out across more than 9,000 different landlords, a significant sample as far as surveys of this kind go. The last study of this kind was carried out in 2021, and the previous one in 2018. This gives us a good feel for how the sector’s mood has changed over time.
First, a striking if unsurprising piece of information. The proportion of landlords who said they are planning to reduce the size of their portfolio has increased dramatically, from 16 per cent in 2018 to 22 per cent in 2021 and then to 31 per cent this year. The latest figure includes some 16 per cent of landlords who said they plan to sell all their properties. Similarly, just 59 per cent of landlords said they would re-let one of their properties the next time it became vacant. This figure stood at 75 per cent in 2018.