Most landlords felt the media did not portray the buy-to-let (BTL) market fairly or accurately, according to research from Landbay.
In a poll, only 9% said the media’s coverage was “fair and accurate”, down from 19% in 2023.
Rob Stanton, sales and distribution director at Landbay, said: “The media – chiefly social but also the mainstream press – is traducing buy-to-let landlords.
“People seem to have a view that landlords are rolling in cash making huge profits; the situation has got worse over the last year presumably encouraged by the legislative agenda.
“As more landlords – small business owners – leave the market in the face of counter-productive red tape, the landlord-bashers are going to get a wake-up call when they realise the housing crisis has not disappeared and – because the supply of rental properties has shrunk – rents have risen.”
Landbay found little difference in opinion between houses in multiple occupation (HMO) or multi-unit freehold block (MUFB) landlords and those with standard portfolios.
However, only 4% of landlords borrowing solely as individuals thought the media’s portrayal was fair and accurate, compared to 10% of those using limited company structures or a mix of both.
Among landlords with one to three properties, 4% felt the portrayal was fair, rising to 10% among those with four or more.
Stanton added: “Landlords with only a few properties tend to be those that have invested all their savings and inheritance into their properties in the hope of providing themselves with a retirement income.
“I think they genuinely care about the state of their properties and therefore find their demonisation even more unfair.”
