Buy-to-let landlords starting to rate environmentally friendly properties among top considerations when investing

According to new research by Hodge, portfolio buy-to-let landlords are responding to a changing market and are starting to seriously consider the green credentials of homes, along with rental yield and opportunity for capital growth, when making investment decisions. 

Our research asked landlords, investors, and brokers what their top priorities were when purchasing properties, and found that, for 82% of respondents, environmental friendliness and energy efficiency were up there with rental yield in the top three considerations. 

Andy Button, Head of Investment Finance, said: “The buy-to-let market is particularly buoyant right now with demand continuing to grow throughout the pandemic, and it’s interesting to see how the priorities for landlords are changing when looking to add to their portfolio. 

“While rental yield and potential for capital growth are, of course, top priorities our research reflects a change in mood of the market, where sustainability and green credentials are becoming ever more important.” 

“According to a recent Savills report, 26% of people considered the environment the most important issue facing the country and, according to Opinium research, 78% of the public believe they have a personal responsibility to deal with the climate crisis – many of these people will be renters. Therefore to stay competitive landlords can’t ignore tenant preference; they, along with developers and estate agents, are having to provide choice in sustainable housing options.” 

Andy added: “It’s clear that sustainability will feature more and more in new build development design, and more stringent compliance to EPC, and an investment strategy more closely aligned to sustainability could actually improve cash flows in the longer term, as tenants might be prepared to pay higher rents, in exchange for lower utility costs. 

“Our research suggests that investors are very much alive to the longer term benefits that having sustainability credentials in a portfolio can afford.” 

We've developed our Portfolio Buy-to-Let product for landlords with four or more properties, who want to stay organised with one loan to cover them all. It offers mortgages of up to £5million for between four and 15 properties and will also loan to those buying multi-unit blocks.  We also offer a Specialised Residential Investment loan, up to £10million, for larger investors with over 15 properties/units, and includes specialist property types, like multi-unit blocks and Houses of Multiple Occupancy. 

We've written a guide on how to make your property more environmentally friendly - 5 ways to make your property more environmentally friendly - which you, or your clients, might find useful.