As the UK gears up for the General Election on July 4th, it looks like a big portion of landlords are grappling with the decision of which party to support.
Two surveys - from Landbay and a collaboration between the NRLA and Goodlord - are highlighting the problems that landlords in the private rented sector (PRS) worry about.
And with the recent demise of the Renters (Reform) Bill, it appears that landlords don't have much faith in either of the two big parties.
When asked by Landbay, 41% of landlords said they didn't yet know which party they would choose, while nearly one-in-three (31%) said they would vote Conservative - and 12% said they would vote Labour.
Just 5% said they would vote Liberal Democrats, while 10% chose 'Other'.
'Landlords still need further reassurance from Labour'
The founder and chief executive of Landbay, John Goodall, said: "Now that the election has been called, it is clear that landlords still need further reassurance from Labour about their plans for government and their policy for the sector.
"The UK needs a strong private rental sector that can support investment and has the ability to scale in order to provide housing to millions of households."
He added: "We therefore urge Sir Keir Starmer to make clear his plans on housing and how his party will recognise the critical role of landlords and the private rental sector in the UK's housing mix."
48% of landlords have concerns
The lender's survey also reveals that 48% of landlords have concerns about a potential change of government.
When pressed on their reasons why, respondents described Labour as 'anti-landlord' and offering 'too many unknowns'.
Other landlords said they would vote for a party that reduces the tax burden facing landlords.
One landlord said: "A Labour government will be traditionally landlord unfriendly. Conservative policies of recent years have also been far too punitive to landlords."
Another said: "Everyone is anti-landlord. With a lack of affordable housing, we are the scapegoats. They have increased our tax and compliance burden. The left is making it worse."
Votes of landlords are still 'up for grabs’
The survey from Landbay also reflects the findings from the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) and Goodlord.
Its findings show that the votes of landlords are still 'up for grabs' with 19% of landlords saying they haven't decided who to vote for yet.
Researchers questioned more than 1,000 landlords and letting agents and found that 39% of agents had already decided.
For landlords, 45% say they have decided which party will get their vote - but 27% say they are open to persuasion.
There are 19% of agents who can be persuaded and 26% of them don't know yet who to vote for.
Waiting to hear the specific policies
However, things could still change because the survey warns that 81% of landlords and 70% of agents are waiting to hear the specific policies before finally deciding.
That means there could yet be many swing votes from across the private rented sector.
Amongst landlords, 73% say that PRS policies will influence their vote - it's just 6% of agents say the same.
Also, 24% of agents would vote for a party that reinstated landlord's tax relief under section 24.
And 22% would vote for a party that retained Section 21.
Property professionals are still 'up for grabs'
Goodlord's chief executive, William Reeve, said: "With an election just around the corner, it's interesting to see how many property professionals are still 'up for grabs' politically.
"And while neither landlords nor estate agents have the most favourable media image, there are around 3 million of them in the UK. It's a constituency no politician should ignore."
The NRLA's chief executive, Ben Beadle, said: "With British politics in a state of flux in the run-up to the General Election, these findings reveal how both parties, with the right approach, can win landlord support for policies which will help build a stronger private rented sector.
"This data shows how landlords and agents are eager to support a party which promises to put in place the foundations of a successful rental market."
Landlords are still undecided who they will vote for
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "With so many landlords still undecided who they will vote for, this is a great opportunity for parties to engage.
"It's heartening too to see landlords waiting to see about economic competence and what the plans for the PRS are before deciding on their vote."
He added: "Obviously, lots of landlords will have decided already but we've had years of anti-landlord policies from the Conservatives, so I can understand the reticence.
"The other thing to remember is that PRS has seen crises before and new governments promising various things before and the PRS is still going but we need policies to help us, especially student landlords, to thrive."
