The Intermediary – June 2025 - Flipbook - Page 35
BUY-TO-LET
Opinion
Certificate grade of Band C by 2030.
Now, on an older property – perhaps
Victorian – this sometimes would cost
such a significant amount of money
to achieve, that many landlords may
completely fall short of reaching
such a task. It could be tens and tens
of thousands for this to even get close
– and who knows, it might actually
be impossible to achieve aer all that
work anyway!
So, where could such support come
in? Could the Government work with
lenders so there’s perhaps a form of
low interest further advance that
could be taken out – not dissimilar
to the old Help to Buy Equity Loan
scheme – in order to boost such
property enhancements?
Lenders no doubt want to keep their
buy-to-let (BTL) book, or even grow it
significantly, so I’m hoping discourse
can happen, if it hasn’t already.
Listen to the market
Away from the energy performance
side of things, where can further
support come from to keep landlords
interested in buying property as
a whole?
I think the answer is simple: lenders
need to continue to take feedback from
brokers, especially more specialist
brokers, to get a feel for what appetite
is out there.
If my firm were consulted, we’d
definitely ask for lenders to open up
to more investor-led developments in
order to keep appetite high.
We’d also be asking for lenders to
consider longer-term corporate lets or
those housing vulnerable tenants. We
know that the current Government
has the task of increasing the supply of
social housing high on the agenda. The
landlord has a part to play in making
this a reality.
It’s always a knock-on effect. If
landlords had further support, then
there would be more success for
developers when building, which in
turn will prompt them to continue
building – ultimately creating more
homes that then become accessible to
the many, not the few.
If there was support for landlords to
increase energy ratings, then tenants
would hopefully have lower bills due
to more efficient homes, and this
could increase the ability to save to
go towards their own purchase in the
future, should they want to.
If there was support from
lenders opening their appetite for
varying types of tenancies, then
the Government would edge closer
towards achieving its pledge. It might
then allow landlords to diversify – and
instead of snapping up some of the
traditional family homes, they might
purchase more niche investments –
ultimately freeing up the ‘standard’
side of the market for first-time buyers
and home movers.
In 2025, more than ever, dialogue
is important. We know changes are
afoot. Brokers are adapting, lenders
are listening, and we all have a part to
play in keeping the industry moving
smoothly. Everything has a knockon effect, and it sometimes isn’t as
negative as first thought. ●
June 2025 | The Intermediary
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