Landlords see market tighten

On top of the scarcity of products, buy-to-letters face steeper interest rates on those still available, according to figures from price comparison site moneysupermarket.com.

The average rate for 75% loan-to-value BTL products has increased by 0.35% to 7.33% in the past year, and by 0.63% to 7.46% for 85% LTV products.

The increase in interest rates means landlords will have to increase rents or find the shortfall themselves. On a £100,000 interest-only mortgage, for example, the rent needed to cover the interest on the mortgage has increased from £569 to £622.

This hike is compounded by the fact, on average, lenders now insist the rental income is 19% greater than the monthly mortgage repayments, up from 13% a year ago. It means, in effect, landlords will need to increase rent by 15% to keep up with these two changes.