Private rented sector finely balanced says Paragon Mortgages

The latest Paragon Mortgages Private Rented Sector (PRS) Trends report for Q1 headlines ‘A Long Road Ahead’.

The highlights in the Paragon Mortgages Q1 2017 PRS Trend report are: Average portfolio size stable at 13 properties, despite tax changes and rising stamp duty. Landlords expect little change in portfolio size over the next 12 months. Average LTV ratio is 35%, continuing downward drift in gearing since 2013. Increased understanding of tax changes and implications – 78% of Landlords, up from 71%.

John Heron, Managing Director, Paragon Mortgages, said: “Almost two years on from the 2015 Summer Budget and the Government’s move to create “a more level playing field” between landlords and homeowners, April 2017 is finally here and the tax relief changes on buy-to-let mortgage interest have started to be implemented – although the full effect willnot be felt until 2021.

“Looking back on the 21 months since the then Chancellor George Osborne’s announcement, it’s encouraging to see the Private Rented Sector (PRS) has not been negatively impacted to the degree that had been widely predicted, despite some turbulence.

“However, we remain cautious, as landlords will not be fully impacted for some years yet and, whilst we have been able to track a modest recovery in confidence since 2015, the sector is still some way off its peak; the PRS is finely balanced and will remain so for some time”. To read more see below.

To read the all the comments from John Heron in the complete Paragon Mortgages PRS Trend report click here.

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

AI in estate agency letting agency property
Estate Agent Talk

5 Practical Examples: This is How AI is Changing Real Estate

There does not appear to be a single industry that is likely to be immune from the impact of AI. Therefore, it is no surprise to learn that seismic changes are happening in the world of real estate, thanks to the increasing influence of artificial intelligence. From using the technology to identify ways to save…
Read More
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

Overheating moves up the housing agenda

441,000 rental homes fail thermal comfort standards The latest analysis from Inventory Base has found that an estimated 441,000 private rented homes in England failed thermal comfort standards in 2024, accounting for 40.3% of all non-decent private rental properties, as major reforms to the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) came into force on…
Read More
Breaking News

Annual house price growth slows in June

The latest Nationwide House Price Index for June 2026 shows that: House prices fell by -0.0% between May 2026 and June 2026. Annual house price growth increased to 2.2% in June 2026, up from 1.7% in May 2026. The average UK house price for June 2026 now stands at £277,484, down slightly from £278,024 in…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide House Price Index May 2026

UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March House prices were up 0.4% month on month Headlines Apr-26 Mar-26 Monthly Index* 554.8 552.7 Monthly Change* 0.4% 0.9% Annual Change 3.0% 2.2% Average Price (not seasonally adjusted) £278,880 £277,186 * Seasonally adjusted figure (note that monthly % changes are…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 30/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   8% of commercial real estate investors and owners have started AI pilots – the reasons why most fail Only 5% of CRE operators achieve most of their AI program goals According to JLL’s 2025 Global Real Estate Technology Survey of more than 1,500 senior…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

What the average asking price buys across Great Britain

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals what buyers can get for the current average asking price of a home, at approximately £378,000 The analysis shows that in some areas, buyers can find five-bedroom homes for around the national average asking price, whereas in other areas it is only a flat or studio that buyers can afford There are clear…
Read More