NLA: Buy-to-let 'impact' on first-timers too sweeping

This article was brought to you by Rentman the premium property management system

People who claim that buy-to-let landlords are pushing first-time buyers out of the housing market are making "sweeping" generalisations that do not account for differences in regional markets, it has been claimed.

The National Landlords Association (NLA) said this week that people are treating the housing market as if it was only one market, without realising that many buy-to-let properties, particularly in London, are not the types of property that first-time buyers would be considering buying.

Simon Gordon, head of public affairs for the association, said: "This is too sweeping a statement. What people are doing is they're treating the UK housing market as one market, but it's not one market. There are great differences between the north east and London.

"Undoubtedly all the sections of the market have a knock on effect on each other, but I think we've seen more proper evidence that buy to let is what eases first time buyers out," he added.

According to the September report from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, consumer confidence in house prices has weakened further since the previous month, with demand slowing and supply remaining restricted.

Buy letting agent software that works