Landlords in the private rented sector are as confident as they have been since the credit crunch, according to research by BDRC Continental.
A survey of landlords, carried out on behalf of Paragon Mortgages, found that 66 per cent of landlords rate their business expectations for the next quarter as good or very good – the highest response since 2007.
Meanwhile, 57 per cent of landlords said that their expectation for the private rented sector in the coming quarter was good or very good.
During the second quarter 12 per cent of landlords added an average of 2.6 properties to their portfolios and 22 per cent said that they plan on buying further buy-to-let property in the next 12 months.
Paragon Mortgages managing director John Heron said: “The latest English Housing Survey published earlier this month, shows that the private rented sector now accounts for 3.6 million households in England.
“This is 17 per cent of the total number of households and practically accounts for the same level as the social rented sector.
“This is a remarkable shift in tenure that – in the context of housing patterns at least – has happened over a very short period of time. It has been made possible by a relatively enlightened approach to landlord and tenant regulation and because buy-to-let finance has allowed landlords to expand their portfolios.”
