According to the Residential Landlords Association, a study of approximately 2,500 landlords revealed that a quarter of private landlords are considering selling at least one of their properties within the next year.
This article does not constitute advice. Professional advice should be taken prior to acting on any part of it. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it.
This group has warned that if things continue the way they have been, the rental sector will take a turn for the worse. With less rental properties on the market, demand will skyrocket, allowing remaining landlords to inflate prices of their properties, pricing out many individuals. Experts predict a 3% increase in rental costs each year for the next five years.
We’ve highlighted the troubles landlords have been experiencing over the last few years thanks to the government’s new tax legislation making their jobs even tougher. And since there’s no relief on the horizon, landlords are finally starting to see the cracks.
The hits keep coming
In another potential blow to the way landlords operate, the government is proposing a change in the way landlords can repossess properties, disallowing landlords the ability to evict tenants without sufficient lead time and due cause.
Outgoing prime minister Theresa May claims that shaking up the rental market like this would prevent “no-fault” evictions which currently provide tenants eight weeks to vacate a property once their contract has ended.
While meant to combat the unfortunate rise of homelessness that has been traced back to Section 21, should the proposal pass without proper discussion and carefully crafted language, the new legislation might cause even more investors to jump ship, increasing the tension in the rental market.
Alternative Investments
If it seems like the property market will be too much of a headache to put up with over the next few years, there are other ways to earn an income through investing.
Historically, when comparing property and stocks, stocks have actually proved to be the better long-term investment.
Each avenue, of course, will be met with pros and cons, especially when looking at returns over the years, but with it being harder and harder to squeeze a profit from rental properties, you might find yourself leaning more toward the stock market to invest the bulk of your capital.
> Read The Best Long Term Investment – Property or Stocks?
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Of course, if you’ve been heavily involved in the property or rental market, you’ll need to seek out a professional to help you understand your new investment venture, and that’s where we come in. Dental & Medical Financial Services will help you build a diverse and solid investment portfolio catered to your needs and attitude toward risk, so get in touch with us today.
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