Experience Invest Talks about UK Buy to Let

What changed? Before April 2017, private landlords were able to benefit from significant tax relief by deducting their mortgage interest payments from their rental income, meaning their taxable income was lower and they didn’t have to pay as much to HM Revenue & Customs. Since the new system was introduced two years ago, the amount of mortgage interest buy-to-let property owners have been able to offset against their rental income has steadily reduced, falling to 75 per cent in 2017-18, 50 per cent in 2018-19, and 25 per cent in 2019-20. From April 2020, this form of tax relief will be removed altogether.

Instead, landlords have been able to claim a flat 20 per cent rate of tax relief on their mortgage interest payments. While this means people who are in the basic 20 per cent income tax bracket should be no worse off, higher earners in the 40 per cent tax bracket will face bigger tax bills. This is clearly a big change, and existing landlords and prospective investors alike should be fully aware of how it affects them. As far as the UK buy-to-let sector as a whole is concerned, it’s clear there are still many opportunities for buyers to turn the latest trends in the market to their advantage.

Experience Invest also highlighted the potential of regional property investment markets in a recent report based on a survey of more than 500 investors. While Greater London topped the list of regions investors are considering in 2019, the north-west wasn’t far behind. One in three respondents (33 per cent) said they were thinking about buying in Manchester this year, while one in four (25 per cent) were looking at Liverpool.

 The gradual removal of mortgage interest tax relief is an important consideration for buy-to-let property owners, but investors can also take reassurance from the wide range of products currently available on the mortgage market. According to research by Moneyfacts, the number of buy-to-let products available in February 2019 was at its highest level for over a decade, with landlords able to choose from 2,162 products. This is higher than at any time since before the 2008 financial crisis. Moneyfacts noted this increase has come “despite the tax and rule changes imposed on the BTL sector over the last few years”.

This has fuelled other trends such as the growth of the build-to-rent sector, which is delivering more developments earmarked specifically for the private rental market. Considering other key factors, such as the powerful appeal of UK higher education and consequent demand for student rental accommodation, it’s clear there is still huge potential in the buy-to-let market for investors to achieve regular yields and long-term capital growth.

With 39 per cent of respondents to Experience Invest’s survey saying they plan to expand their property portfolios this year, it seems the mortgage tax relief changes haven’t stopped people from wanting to invest in UK real estate.

Experience Invest approach to any of these student accommodation projects is to always work closely alongside the universities, where possible, to provide internships or some awareness campaign within the university. Not only is Experience Invest a sales and marketing organisation but they are also a developer and a management company. Stay updated with the latest in the property market by reading about Experience Invest online here. You can also visit  Experience Invest  Crunchbase page here and follow the official Experience Invest Twitter here.