Ireland tops the EU league for Buy-to-Let Investments.

According to new research by WorldFirst, Ireland is once again the top European location for buy-to-let investments. This comes as UK yields fall to 4% putting the country in the bottom 5 for buy-to-let investment returns in Europe.

UK landlords have seen average yields plummet 19% over the past year following a raft of tax changes, causing the UK to crash 10 places in Europe’s buy-to-let ranks.

WorldFirst state: The UK’s stuttering rental market is beginning to hit buy-to-let investors with yields falling from from 4.91% to 4% over the past year. The latest findings also come a year after stamp duty changes came into play in the UK, significantly increasing fees for those investing in buy-to-let or purchasing a second home therefore making buy-to-let even less of an attractive investment option.

Commenting on the research, Edward Hardy, Economist at WorldFirst said:

“The correlation between a country’s housing sector and the health of the wider economy is clear. It may now be the case that the deteriorating dynamics of the UK’s rental market is sounding the alarm for a wider slowdown in residential housing and thereby broader economic wellbeing. While the UK remains in a purgatory-like state between EU membership and Brexit, long-term investment decisions have become increasingly difficult to make and falling returns for property investors could mark the beginning of the end for one of the UK’s most successful investment avenues of the past 25 years.”

Read the new research report by WorldFirst in full 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

Breaking News

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows

Gap between house prices and earnings narrows – but higher borrowing costs limit affordability gains UK’s house price to income ratio falls from 7.6 to 7.3, an 11-year low, as earnings continue to outpace house price growth For first-time buyers, homes now cost less than six times earnings, falling from 6.1 to 5.9 However, monthly…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

New Scheme Could Double Solo Buyer New-Build Options

Your First Home could more than double new-build options for solo first-time buyers The number of available new-build homes in England affordable to an average single first-time buyer could more than double (+114%) under the new Your First Home scheme The maximum purchase price affordable to an average solo buyer could increase by nearly £49,000,…
Read More →
Breaking News

Annual house price growth halves in September

UK annual house price growth halved to 0.8% in September, from 1.6% in August Northern Ireland remained best performing region, with prices up 5.9% year on year in Q3 2026 East Anglia weakest performing region, with annual decline of 0.7% Terraced properties were the strongest performing property type, with a 1.8% rise, whilst flats remained…
Read More →
Estate Agents should not all look the same
Estate Agent Talk

Homesellers say valuation appointment is key

Nearly nine in 10 home sellers say the valuation appointment is key when choosing an estate agent   The latest research from GetAgent.co.uk has revealed that the valuation appointment remains one of the most influential stages of the home selling journey, with almost nine in 10 sellers saying it played an important role when deciding which…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

London’s rental market bucks the national trend

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that rental demand in the capital is up 7% in September while Great Britain overall is 2% below last year Rental demand in London had been running around 7% below 2025 levels on average throughout 2026 until the end of August before moving into growth…
Read More →
Breaking News

Higher mortgage rates put buyers in the driving seat

Market conditions vary locally: three in four Scottish homes find a buyer within three months, compared with just three in ten in London   Mortgage rates now average 5.2 per cent, the highest level in three years, adding £150 a month (£1,800 a year) to typical repayments and further cooling buyer demand Homes for sale…
Read More →