25
Feb
Buy-to-let 'has not impacted on first-timers'
The impact that buy-to-let investors have had on first-time buyers
is minimal, according to a spokesman at the Association of
Residential Letting Agents.
Malcolm Harrison believed that any claims to the contrary are "a
load of rubbish" as investors go for the middle market.
Until recent times, the official noted, all such landlords have
done is "refinance big chunks of the private rental sector".
In addition to such comments, Mr Harrison stated that the private
rented sector now makes up 12 per cent of the entire market.
"What we want buy-to-let to do is to increase [within] the private
rental sector, because it's still very small," he commented.
A recent report from the National Housing and Planning Advice Unit
documented that the buy-to-let sector has had an impact on
inflation in property prices.
Despite this, other factors in the rise include stable rates of
interest and growing incomes, it said. 