Research - Almost a quarter of landlords lost rental income in the pandemic

Almost a quarter of landlords lost rental income during the Covid-19 pandemic according to new research from YouGov on behalf of the NRLA.

In the survey of private residential landlords 23% said their rental income was affected by the pandemic, between March 2020 and September 2021, when the Government's furlough scheme ended.

The figures show landlords most commonly lost less than a fifth of their rental income during the pandemic.

More than half landlords stated that they lost 20% or less, a total of 56 per cent.

Around a fifth - 19 per cent - said they lost between 20% and 50%.

However a small minority were hit hard, with five per cent losing more than half their usual income and three per cent saying they received no rental income at all during the pandemic. 

Of this grouping two thirds had tenants living in their rentals, but not paying rent, with a third reporting empty homes.

A further 17% of landlords whose rental income was affected during the pandemic said there was no overall loss, suggesting they have since recouped any lost income.