Most profitable locations for buy-to-let landlords revealed

Brighton, Bangor, Portsmouth and Leeds are the top places to be a buy-to-let landlord, research from CIA Landlords has revealed. 

Ranked at the bottom of the table is St Albans, with the poorest prospects for landlords this year, with some potentially making a loss of more than £700 a month.

Only six locations in London remain profitable, with the majority of boroughs losing money.

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The research also reveals that profitability in the Capital has nearly halved since January 2020, amid a major exodus during the pandemic.

Brighton remains the most profitable place to be a landlord for the second year running, with landlords in the coastal town making a monthly profit of around £570.

The findings, which took into account rental fees charged to tenants and landlord costs placed Bangor in second place (£500.53), Portsmouth in third place (£479.27), Leeds in fourth place (£477.60) and Lancaster in fifth  (£474.54).

Bristol, Coventry, Manchester, Nottingham and Salford rounded out the top ten.

Stuart Williams (pictured), director of Thirlmere Deacon, said: “Over the last few months, some landlords have seen their profits dented due to the Chancellors’ tax measures that are only now taking effect.

“Undoubtedly, it is becoming more difficult for amateur investors to make a profit in the buy-to-let market due to legislation changes and financial pressures, there is still a lot of money to be made if landlords and investors make the right investment decisions.

“If investors can purchase cheaper properties with higher yields, they will have the opportunity to protect and boost their profits in the longer term. For example, an average residential property in London is around £500k with rental yields of circa 2%, while a flat in a good area of Manchester could cost half the price and generate 6-7% rental yields on top of 4-5% annual capital appreciation

“Landlords should review their existing portfolio to see if they can boost rental income and protect profits, by attracting a different market. Landlords will often find the best returns in urban areas, with a concentration of students and young professionals.

“It is also worth landlords considering setting up a limited company and using this structure to hold their properties.

“This will enable them to continue deducting mortgage interest when they are calculating profits. Landlords can also benefit from just 20% corporation tax, instead of income tax of up to 45%.

“Landlords need to do a serious portfolio review and work out how the tax changes affect them and what options there are to save, or make more money. For example, remortgaging to get a better deal or renovating some old stock – these costs will be tax-deductible.

“Alternatively, landlords could consider selling some properties or increasing the rent.”