Record 20% of homes rented this year owned by company landlords.

One in five homes let this year is owned by a company landlord, marking a record high for a rental index.

The proportion of homes let by a company landlord reached 20% in the first quarter of this year across Britain, the highest proportion since records started in 2010, according to lettings network Countrywide.

Recent tax changes for landlords may be a reason behind the increase, Countrywide suggested.

Changes to income tax relief on mortgage interest payments that started in April are being phased in over a four-year period until 2020. Landlords have already been hit by a stamp duty hike in April last year.

Countrywide suggested some landlords may be finding it more tax-efficient to own their buy-to-let portfolios through a company rather than hold them as a personal asset.



PA Money News.
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