The image of the typical landlord might be changing, with recent research revealing that two in five of the UK’s landlords are in fact landladies!
The research, which polled tens of thousands of landlords, revealed that 40% of landlords are female, compares to just 17% of small business owners. This suggested that the property industry is taking greater steps towards equality than many other industries.
Not only is this good news for the industry, it’s good news for tenants too. Female landlords are shown to be more likely to consider a broader spectrum of tenants for their properties, with 35% saying they would consider housing benefit tenants in comparison to just 25% of male respondents. Students, pensioners and single people were also revealed to be more openly considered by the female respondents.
As well as being slightly more open minded about potential tenants, female landlords also have very different goals in mind when it comes to their investment. Over 60% of female landlords admitted that using rent as a monthly income was their goal, compared to just 53% of their male counterparts.
Replacing a salary with rental income is an unexpected opportunity for some, with more women than men finding themselves becoming ‘accidental landlords’. Only 48% of female landlords said that they were ‘deliberate’ buy-to-let investors, in comparison to 61% of men.
As recently as 1970 women could be refused a mortgage without a male guarantor. But buying, selling, renovating, and renting property is no longer just for the boys. Those stereotypes are firmly consigned to history. Women have been steadily gaining ground over the last 50 years and are increasingly gaining financial independence through property investment.
Alexandra Huntley, Head of Operations at Simple Landlords Insurance
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