Landlord complains Welsh Gov has ‘put off people from buying property’

A landlord has complained that the Welsh Government has “put off a lot of people from buying property”.

Alexlouise Thomas, 41, who has recently transferred her portfolio of 14 properties into a limited company, is unhappy about Welsh Government legislation.

She argues that instead of working together, the government is working against landlords, who she claims are attempting to offer good quality, affordable housing.

The property owner, who has properties in and around the Rhondda Cynon Taf area as well as across Wales, and has been in the business for almost 20 years, feels that the “damage has already been done” and that there is no way back from the legislation imposed.

According to Alexlouise the people in the housing industry who are affected the most are smaller landlords that only have one or two properties as investments.

She complains that over time they will be the ones who are selling up.

She told WalesOnline: “What’s happened will put off a lot of people from buying property, like maybe their kids have gone off to uni so they bought a house that their child and their friends have rented, all of that is gone now – which is the majority of the rental sector.

“It’s wiping out that type of landlord. It’s made the sector into ‘if you don’t have a big serious business in it, it’s not worth it’, which ironically ultimately will mean that the companies that own the property will be bigger and bigger names rather than just your average Mr and Mrs Jones being able to do it as an investment.”