New research from the National Landlords Association (NLA) suggests that confidence in the UK financial market is growing within landlords.
Raised Expectations
Findings from the report indicate that 31% of landlords would say their expectation of the UK financial market is either good or very good. This is a considerable rise of 21% in comparison to the same survey conducted last year.[1]
Growing faith in the market is underlined further with the news that 27% of landlords questioned said that they plan to add to their existing portfolio in the coming twelve months.[1]
Interest
Despite the increased belief in the financial market, a number of landlords expressed concerns regarding potential increases in interest rates. 21% of landlords said that they would struggle to keep up with mortgage payments if interest rates rose by as little as 2%. 35% said a rise of 2.5% would cause them financial hardship, with 41% expressing a rise of 3% would be detrimental.
Despite landlords’ concern, The Bank of England stated just last week that interest rates will remain at their current rate of 0.5% until at least late 2015.
Optimism
Carolyn Uphill, Chairman of the NLA, was understandably pleased with the results of the survey. Uphill said that, “Landlord optimism around the UK’s financial recovery, coupled with the Bank of England’s announcement makes good reading for anyone considering buy-to-let investment. This is evidenced by the significant number of landlords who will be looking to add property to their portfolios over the coming months.”[1]
Uphill warns though that, “interest rates will rise as the economy improves and we move out of recession,” and that, “anyone thinking about buy-to-let investment should do so with a view to long-term sustainability.”
[1] http://www.landlords.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/landlords-confident-uks-financial-recovery