The survey showed 38 per cent of landlords planned to increase their portfolio and 48 per cent said they planned to maintain their current level. Only 5 per cent said they planned to decrease their buy-to-let holdings, 1 per cent said they planned to leave the market and 8 per cent did not know.
In terms of how long they expect to remain in the private rental market, almost two-thirds anticipate being landlords for more than ten years.
CML head of research Bob Pannell said: “Up to now the future intentions of buy-to-let landlords have been the subject of much conjecture but little real evidence. This topline survey evidence sets down a clear marker that landlords themselves broadly expect to maintain or increase their holdings.”
In addition, a report by Charcol reveals buy-to-let is set for a decade of further growth forecasting an 8 to 12 per cent jump in the number of properties bought to let.
Ray Boulger, senior technical manager at Charcol, said “There’s been plenty of speculation about jitters in the buy-to-let sector but a convergence of socio-economic factors suggests strong prospects over the next decade.”
· Hometrack expects house prices in general to continue to fall in the first few months of 2005 by up to 3 per cent, but said it will be a year of two halves.
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John Wriglesworth, Hometrack’s housing economist, commented: “As the market stabilises we should see a stronger performance in the last six months, where house prices should finish the year in the same shape they started it.”
