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It’s becoming increasingly difficult to make money from UK property. Tax changes brought in at the end of the last decade have squeezed landlords’ profit margins, and caused some to consider selling up and deploy their money elsewhere.
Research from real estate group Hamptons last week found that new buy-to-let investment had fallen to its lowest level since 2007. Across Britain, 10 per cent of home sales went to BTL investors in the first four months of 2025, down from 11 per cent in 2024.
The only British region where BTL sales have increased from 2015 is the North East, where lower house prices make yields more attractive (at 9.3 per cent gross).
Is the once-popular strategy of buying a nearby property to supplement retirement still an option for so-called amateur landlords? Or do you need to become incorporated and scale up to make any returns? Will the Renters Rights’ bill, expected to take effect this summer, change the calculus for landlords?
We’re looking to talk to landlords who are either carrying on their portfolio or have recently sold up; perhaps you have moved away from bricks-and-mortar to invest in other property vehicles, such as Reits?
Please email money@ft.com with your views; we won’t publish your name without checking first, and are happy for commenters to remain anonymous.
