If you are planning to undertake a landlord training course, you may have heard some people question the decision, amid claims that this is not as good an investment as it used to be. However, a landlord advocacy body has argued, there is still a lot to be optimistic about as 2025 approaches.
Writing a column for the National Residential Landlords Association, pressure group Landlord Action acknowledged that 2024 has been a challenging year, with a shortage of county court bailiffs in some areas making repossession slow and the overworked court system expected to face more pressure when the ban on Section 21 possessions comes in.
A further concern was the recent Budget decision to impose a two per cent stamp duty hike on investment properties and second homes.
However, the article noted there are lots of positives to consider in 2025. One of these is that buy-to-let yields have been rising. In September these stood at 6.72 per cent, up from 6.69 per cent at the end of June and 6.48 per cent a year earlier.
Therefore, it noted, while there are some uncertainties, there are also lots of positive opportunities. And while some landlords have left the market, reducing supply, that does mean those who rent out property can charge higher rents (and have less chance of vacant periods, one may add).
It advised landlords that the keys to success in 2025 include staying up-to-date with legislation, acting early in possessions to deal with delays and backlogs in the system and connecting with other landlords to help understand the challenges the sector faces.
Landlords may also seek to understand some interesting changes in the market, such as unexpected demographic developments.
For example, the latest English Housing Survey has revealed that the fastest-growing group of private renters is the over-55s, who now make up 19 per cent of such households, up from 14 per cent a decade ago.