The property market could be flooded by homes for first-time buyers as 380,000 buy-to-let (B2L) investors seek to offload their property in the next year, landlords have claimed in a survey conducted by the National Landlords Association (NLA).

The survey revealed that approximately a fifth of the UK’s landlords were looking to sell their properties, and that 45 per cent of those selling would be offloading a flat or apartment.

The NLA explained that first-time buyers would benefit from this “flooding” of the market, whereas renters may suffer, as it could lead to a drop in the number of homes available to tenants.

The survey found that only 7 per cent of landlords that are looking to sell their properties are intending to sell to other landlords.

NLA chief executive Richard Lambert said: “These findings sound like positive news for potential new homeowners, but the reality is not everyone wants, or is in a position financially, to buy.

“In fact, if all these homes are sold as planned then it will lead to a significant fall in the supply of property available to those who choose to rent, or have no other option but to rent.”

The findings from the NLA repeat warnings of the weaknesses within the B2L sector, which accounts for roughly a tenth of property ownership in the UK.

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