“Buy-to-let Tax cuts won’t put landlords off” says Waterfords.

Following the Chancellor’s summer Budget, in which he announced a substantial crackdown on mortgage interest tax relief, Brendan Cox of Waterfords says he does not think this will put people off investing in buy-to-let.

The amount landlords can claim as relief will, from 2017, be set at the basic rate of tax – currently 20 per cent, in a move which is said to ‘level the playing field for homebuyers and investors. Whilst some industry experts believe this will cool the buy-to-let market, making property investment less attractive, Brendan Cox, Managing Director of Waterfords which operates across Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire, says he doesn’t feel it will have a substantial impact.

He comments “I don’t think people will be put off. Buy-to-let investment still offers a good opportunity for people to make money from capital growth and most people consider the long-term gain over the immediate income. There are still some good yields to be had on a monthly basis, and granted, landlords aren’t going to be able to make quite as much money, but the gains are so big in others areas I would be surprised if this rocked the market very much.

In trying to cool the property market, the government may have created an even bigger problem for tenants because landlords may look to recoup some of the loss through rental income. In our experience, such is the shortage of properties available, that anything we take on the market is snapped up immediately therefore, landlords could probably add an extra 5-10% and still find willing tenants.

Initially the increase in inheritance tax allowance won’t have much of an impact. The most notable difference will be that elderly people, who previously might have downsized to divide up their funds in advance, will now remain in their homes safe in the knowledge their offspring will not have to pay a large tax bill upon their death.”

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Best Budget Smartphones Under $200

In the rapidly advancing digital era, it’s no longer a luxury but a necessity to have a smartphone. Not everyone however needs or is able to pay hundreds of dollars for an expensive device. The good news is that there are numerous budget smartphones under $200 that provide great performance, decent cameras, and a long…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Ten years on: More first-time buyers moving to cities while the coast stands still

New ten-year analysis of the property market shows that more first-time buyers are looking to move to cities, while the coast has seen no growth in new buyers First-time buyer demand to move to Great Britain’s 50 largest cities (excluding London) is up by 16% on average over the last ten years, with Dundee topping…
Read More
Breaking News

Homeowners in England and Wales overvalue their properties by an average of 16%

Homeowners in England and Wales are overestimating the value of their property by an average of 16%, according to new figures. Data from Quick Move Now compares homeowner estimates with formal estate agent valuations and is broken down by both region and property type. Overall, homeowners overvalue in every single category.   Regional breakdown Region…
Read More
Visual blemishes on Roads due to service upgrades
Estate Agent Talk

Emergency Sidewalk Repairs: When to Act and Who to Call

Sidewalks are the unsung heroes of city infrastructure—quietly assisting tens of millions of footsteps every day. But when they crack, disintegrate, or shift all of sudden, they might quickly turn out to be volatile liabilities. In a town like New York, in which pedestrian site visitors are constant and belongings proprietors are legally chargeable for…
Read More
Breaking News

Reapit report reveals agents’ long-term market confidence amid legislative challenges

Despite the significant challenges posed by a shifting economic landscape and the largest wave of housing legislation in decades, estate and letting agents remain steadfast in their confidence about their long-term future in the industry. According to the first Reapit Property Outlook Report 2025, covering the full breadth of sales and lettings agency opinion countrywide,…
Read More
Breaking News

Owner-Occupiers Drive Resilient Commercial Property Market

Buying Becomes 37% Cheaper Than Renting The latest Commercial Property Demand Index from specialist property finance expert, Rangewell, reveals that while investor appetite across the sector held steady in Q2, strong levels of owner-occupied commercial mortgage activity are helping drive market performance, as business owners increasingly move from renting to buying their long-term premises for…
Read More