Fewer landlords feel negative about their buy to let business according to the latest Landbay landlord survey.

The specialist lender’s surveys typically show optimistic results about the sector.

Some 27% of the landlords surveyed this time felt negative about their business, compared to 37% at the end of last year. While 40% of landlords were neutral, only 33% actually felt positive.

That positive one-third highlighted increased or steady demand as the reason for their optimism. The strongest positive sentiment was among those landlords with portfolios over 20 properties. 

Of those with between four to 10 properties, more felt negative than positive. But the feelings of landlords with portfolios between eleven and 20 properties were evenly split between negative and positive sentiment.

From the responding HMO landlords, 43% felt positive about their businesses with approaching 30 per cent feeling negative.

Those landlords who felt negative cited uncertainty over a possible Labour win in next week’s election and potential rental reform – the abolition of Section 21 eviction powers was particularly concerning while some were worried about growing anti-landlord sentiment across the board. 

Rob Stanton, sales and distribution director at Landbay, says: “Whichever party forms the next government, we hope that they will be committed to supporting the rental sector. Nurturing confidence among landlords is absolutely key to the health and prosperity of the UK housing market, helping to provide much needed accommodation. 

“With affordability still a real challenge for residential buyers and demand continuing to outstrip supply, there is an abundance of tenants ready to rent across the country.

“There are many reasons to be optimistic about buy to let. Not only has it survived countless crises and changing governments over the years, it continues to thrive too. As a buy to let lender we are incredibly positive and remain committed to innovating to meet the needs of landlords.”