A report led by Sir Adrian Montague to review what barriers exist to deter investors from the build-to-let sector, has been welcomed by the British Property Federation.
The government-backed Montague review will also examine how the supply of buy-to-let properties can be increased in line with rapidly growing demand. It is being drawn up by a nine-strong panel, including Ian Fletcher, BPF director of policy, real estate.
The BPF is now calling upon the property industry to throw its weight behind the review and to send its thoughts to the panel.
Liz Peace, BPF chief executive said: “The industry has a golden opportunity to articulate why residential investment could be an attractive asset class for institutions, and what prevents the considerable interest in the sector turning into a greater flow of funds into it.”
Current UK institutional investment in housing – from companies such as insurance or pension funds – is estimated at less than £4.5bn by IPD, just a small proportion of the estimated £840bn total value of the private rented sector.
joanna.bourke@estatesgazette.com
