Buy-to-let investors remain confident

Buy-to-let investors remain confident about the future, according to a new survey.

11:23 17 August 2004

Mortgage Express' quarterly Buy-to-Let Confidence Report shows that despite a small fall in demand the overall confidence in the market remains strong.

More than 40 per cent of those surveyed said they believe demand for rental property has remained the same, while 36 per cent believe it is increasing.

On the other side of the coin, 16 per cent of respondents believe that demand is decreasing, an increase from 10 per cent in the first quarter.

"There has been a small drop in demand for buy-to-let, but void periods have remained low and most investors have said they will maintain or increase their current portfolio," said Roger Hillier, product development manager at Mortgage Express.

"This suggests that the market is inherently stable, and the long-term outlook for buy-to-let remains strong."

When it came to void periods, 78 per cent of respondents said they had not experienced any in their properties over the past six months.

Of those who did experience void periods, 83 per cent lasted under four weeks.

Looking forward, 51 per cent of respondents said they intended to keep their portfolio at its current level over the next six months and 40 per cent stated their intention to increase their portfolio.