link to ringley website
  • Home
  • About Us
    About us & leadership Awards Savings for Clients Case Studies Green Management Strategies Market Overview Leasehold Reform Campaign Money Back Guarantee
  • Our Services
    • Asset Management
      • UK Asset Management
      • Project Monitoring
      • ESG Consultancy & Implementation
      • PropTech & Living Sectors Platform
      • Marketing Insights
      • Resident Journey
      • Stabilised Assets
      • UK Build to Rent
      • UK Later Living
      • UK Co-Living
      • UK Student Accommodation
      • UK Single Family Housing
    • Block Management
      • Overview - London
      • Overview - Wales & West
      • Overview - Southwest
      • Right to Manage
      • Freehold Management
      • Resident Management
      • Estates of Houses
      • Ground Rent Collection
      • How to change agent?
      • Block Management Services
      • Can't afford an agent?
      • Legal & Tribunals
      • Top 10 Tips
      • Report an incident
    • Commercial Management
    • Law
      • Overview
      • Meet The Team
      • Recommendations
      • Right to Manage
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Absentee Freeholder
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Conveyancing - Wales
      • Conveyancing - England
      • Service Charge/Rent Arrears Recovery
      • Company Secretary
    • Property Valuations
      • Overview
      • Loan Security
      • Company Accounts
      • Lease Extensions
      • Freehold Purchase
      • Rent Reviews
      • Ground Rent Investment
      • Development Valuations
      • Expert Witness & Litigation
      • Tax, Trusts & Accounts Valuations
      • Trading Business
      • Compulsory Purchase
      • Residential Valuations
    • Engineering
      • Overview
      • EWS1 Consultancy
      • Asbestos
      • Contract Administration
      • Fire Assesment
      • Homebuyer Survey
      • Building Survey
      • Schedules
      • Party Wall Matters
      • Principle Designer
      • Disability Access Audits
      • Small Building Works
      • Fire Door Inspection
      • Insurance Valuations
    • Property Accounting
      • Finance
      • Quote For Service Charge Accounts?
      • Property Accounting Law
      • Accounting Updates
      • To Audit or Not?
    • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Plant & Facilities Management
      • Fire Door Inspection APP
      • Fire Safety Update
    • Site Staffing Solutions
      • Ringley Integrated Site Staff Solutions
    • Leasehold Guidance
      • Overview
      • Right to Manage
      • Purchasing The Freehold
      • Court Appointed Manager
      • Absentee Freeholder
  • Insights
    Asset Management Articles Block Management Blogs Publications BTR Rental Market Blogs Customer Insights FAQ - Ask Our Experts Insurance Calculator
  • ESG
  • E-books
  • Get In Touch
  •    
  • Work with us
  •  
  • Portal Login
Landlords under fire

Written by: Mary-Anne Bowring 02/09/2020
  657       0
Responsive image

The Burden on Landlords: A Growing Barrier in the Rental Market

Landlords could be forgiven for feeling like pariahs just now. The government is working hard to make it really difficult to be a landlord, which seems more than a little out of kilter in a market that needs more, not fewer homes for rent

The Future of Build-to-Rent: Expanding Options for Diverse Renters

Ringley is retained by and advising top institutional build to rent developers in England and Ireland and has just announced a joint venture with JP Hay which is very active in the BTR market in Manchester. With housing need so acute right across the country, supply has to be the answer so the more the better. Bring it on, we say! The current thinking around the private rented sector is clearly to foster institutional investment and encourage the big developers to flood the market with purpose-designed build to rent accommodation, while taxing smaller buy-to-let landlords out of the market, in theory leaving the big boys to do it better. But not all renters want to live in an institution-run building and many may prefer a flat in a small development or a house. In light of rising house prices and a rapidly expanding rental sector surely there has to be room for a broad range of property that includes HMOs, family homes and older as well as new build housing stock in addition to the shiny new apartment blocks that are springing up across the country.

The Inequity of Taxation: Addressing the Burden on Buy-to-Let Landlords

The other aspect that we believe needs revisiting is taxation. According to new research from the National Landlords Association, the rental income received by 79% of landlords with mortgages is only sufficient to service the interest element of their loans, and not pay down their debts, as they contend with rising costs. How is it possible to justify taxing buy-to-let landlords differently to institutional landlords? It’s clearly unfair. The government has failed again and again at meeting its own housing targets.

The Case for Buy-to-Let: Supporting Landlords in a Challenging Economy

Arguably, only on immigration targets is its track record worse. And the government is equally scared about funding pensions for our aging population. So, if a buy-to-let landlord is delivering both a home to a tenant and simultaneously providing for their own old age via property investment, instead of expecting government handouts then surely the BTL sector deserves support? Our solution is simple: instead of forcing BTL landlords out of the market, why not limit the number of properties they can own and monitor them properly to keep the rogues out of the market.

The Tenants Bill: Striking the Right Balance in the Housing Market

The Tenants Bill now going through Parliament is rightly trying to make the market fair and transparent for renters. But there is a balancing act here. For the pendulum to swing too far in the direction of tenants without also addressing the genuine needs of landlords, many may decide to call it quits. That would worsen, not alleviate, our current housing crisis and would be an embarrassing own-goal for government. As the NLA said this week, encourage building more housing of all tenures by simplifying planning and borrowing rules and stop taxing professional landlords out of the market. The loss of good landlords will not make renting more affordable; it will simply drive up the cost for those who want to access decent rented homes.

The Burden on Landlords: Striking a Balance in the Rental Market

Landlords are feeling increasingly burdened by government policies that seem to penalize them, while the market desperately needs more rental homes. The growing trend towards institutional build-to-rent developments, supported by major developers, may flood the market with purpose-built accommodation but fails to cater to renters who prefer smaller, independent properties.

The financial strain on buy-to-let landlords is exacerbated by rising costs and unfair taxation compared to institutional investors. Many landlords are struggling to pay down debts as rental income often only covers mortgage interest. Instead of forcing them out, a more balanced approach could involve limiting property ownership while ensuring proper regulation.

The ongoing Tenants Bill aims to improve fairness for renters, but if tenant protections outweigh landlord concerns, it could lead to fewer landlords, worsening the housing crisis. Simplifying planning rules and supporting professional landlords would be a better solution to increasing housing supply and affordability.



Property Management Block Management
POPULAR POSTS

Solar panels on flats - what you need to know

Is noise getting you down?

Ground Rent: Fines for Landlords Who Charge Ground Rent

High Court: Right to Rent does breach human rights

Landlords beware - Don't believe everything you read!

RECENT POSTS

New Government Reforms Aim to Cut Red Tape and Revive the UK’s Nightlife and Hospitality Sector

Will AI help improve the UK's flood resilience?

The UK Government Takes Decisive Steps to Meet Its Target of Delivering 1.5 Million Homes

UK Leasehold Reform: Moving Towards Commonhold Ownership

Government to Introduce Single Construction Regulator by 2028 in Response to Grenfell Inquiry



Blogs related:

ASSET MANAGEMENT
Decent Homes Standard - Rental Reform: speeding up BTR is the answer
A robust rental sector is vital for the growth of the housing sector. The UK's Private Rental Sector witnessed several changes in the recent past. Even though it plays a crucial role by providing housing to over 4.4 million households, about 20 percent of Uk households The Private Rental Sector urgently needs reforms to meet consumer needs.PRS reforms must benefit tenants and landlordsThe declining supply of social housing and steep hike in pr...

Read


ASSET MANAGEMENT
Brexit: what's the impact on property?
Harold Wilson, who delivered the UK?s first European referendum in 1975, said a week is a long time in politics. This week, Brexit has been the only story in town.In October, Zoopla reported that the impact of Brexit "?has been limited so far?. Housing fundamentals such as affordability, tax changes and mortgage regulation were thought to be the main factors of the slowdown in London - where average prices are falling by 0.4% - and the Brexit...

Read


ASSET MANAGEMENT
Navigating the UK Rental Market amidst EPC Reforms - What Landlords Need to Know
The UK rental market is facing an uncertain situation and might have to deal with serious challenges to comply with the proposed Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) reforms. All leading property firms and professionals alike have raised concerns about the impact of these regulations, particularly on smaller landlords owning a few properties.

Read


Meet our Expert Property Commentators

Mary-Anne Bowring FTPI FRICS FARLA FCABE Founder/Head of Asset Management

Strategic partnerships, holistic delivery/ opportunities, growth, value engineering, thought leadership

Ian Barber MD BTR Mobilisation & Leasing

Runs HQ & site lease-up teams. Drives rent pricing, mobilisation, marketing, happy residents!

Jon Curtis MRICS Head of Building Engineering

Chartered Building Surveyor. Lectures on EWS1 & building safety. Runs CapEx programmes.

Kate Robinson MTPI MD Blocks/FM Management (London Region)

Master plan setup, ops and staffing and resident engagement. ISO45001 champion.

Lee Harle Partner Ringley Law

Plot conveyancing. Debt litigation. Group Company Secretary.

Anthony Kingdon MIRPM AssocRICS MD Blocks/FM Management (North Region)

Stakeholder engagement. Mixed tenure specialist. Budget management. Plant audit, PPM compliance.

Chris Georgalis MRICS Head of Commercial Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental valuations: retail, leisure. IRR modelling and valuations for secured lending. Compulsory purchase & rent reviews

Nichola Pughe MRICS Head of Residential Valuation

Chartered Valuer. Rental development & mixed use valuations, IRR modelling. Leasehold enfranchisement specialist

Natalie Birmingham Helpdesk Support Manager

Trainer & Helpdesk Manager: people, systems,contractors. ISO45001 supply chain accreditation.

Steve Norman Planning Director

Land due diligence (opportunities & constraints) Has contributed to a number of award winning schemes.


inshights shared - link to planetrent blogs

Landlord blog
Read landlord blog
inshights shared - link to ringley blogs

Property blogs
Read property blogs
inshights shared - link to ringley articles

Property articles
Read property articles
inshights shared - link to ringley ebooks

E-books
Read E-books

link to ringley social media facebook link to ringley social media instagram link to ringley social media linkedin link to ringley social media x-twitter
link to ringley social media x-twitter for small device
link to ringley social media linkedin for small device
link to ringley social media instagram for small device
link to ringley social media facebook for small device
  • Ringley Group
  • About us
  • CSR / ESG
  • BusyLiving
  • PlanetRent
  • Talk to us
  • Careers
  • Ask a Question
  • Insights
  • Articles
  • Blogs
  • Subscribe
  • BTR & PRS Buildings
  • What we do
  • Asset Management
  • Block Management
  • Facilities Management
  • Property Law
  • Surveying / Valuation
  • Building Engineering
  • Financial Services
  • Managing Agents
  • Block Management Locations
  • Co-working
  • Renting & Letting
  • Right to Manage
  • Contractor Management
  • Space to Work
  • Fees and Client Money Protections
  • Email: solutions@ringley.co.uk

  • Emergency line 1: 0207 428 2056

  • Emergency line 2: 0207 267 2900

  • Report an incident
  • Our Offices
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 1 Castle Road
  • London
  • NW1 8PR
  • T: 0207 267 2900
  • London
  • Ringley House
  • 47 Rochester Place
  • London
  • NW1 9JL
  • Manchester
  • 11 Swan Street
  • Northern Quarter
  • Manchester
  • M4 5JJ
  • T: 0330 174 7777
  • Cardiff
  • 122 West Bute Street
  • Cardiff Bay
  • Cardiff
  • CF10 5LJ
  • T: 0330 174 7747
Privacy Policy
Ringley Staff Dashboard
link to ifsm website link to tpi website link to tpos website link to rics website link to ukgbc website link to government security industry authority website link to alep website

All content © copyright 2025. Ringley Limited. All Rights reserved. Ringley Limited, incorporated and registered in England and wales. Registered office: Ringley House, 1 Castle Road, London, NW1 8PR. Company No. 03302438
Terms of use | Privacy Policy | Modern slavery act | COVID-19 risk assessment