The growth in the appeal of limited company lending has been evident since 2016 when the 3% investor stamp duty surcharge came into force and the proportion of tax-deductible mortgage interest on buy-to-lets held in personal names began to be phased out. In fact, since the beginning of 2016 and the end of 2020, more companies were set up to hold buy-to-let properties than in the preceding 50 years combined.

This progression was recently highlighted in research from Hamptons which showed that there were a record number of new limited companies set up to hold buy-to-let properties in 2020. Last year there were a total of 41,700 buy-to-let incorporations, an increase of 23% on 2019. The numbers have more than doubled since 2016, rising 128%. This means that at the end of 2020 there were a total of 228,743 buy-to-let companies up and running, an all-time record.

I’m sure we’re all glad to see the back of 2020 but there’s no getting away from the tough start ahead of us in 2021.

Although, I refuse to be too downbeat. So, let me take this opportunity to wish you all a happy New Year and try to inject a little optimism.

The fact is we are all better placed, practically and hopefully mentally, to deal with some short-term hardships and we have to keep reminding ourselves that there is certainly plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.

2020 has, at times, been a year which seems to have lasted forever. On the other hand, there have also been moments when it feels like it has flashed by in the blink of an eye. It has certainly proved to be a year of two halves.

When focusing on the buy-to-let and housing markets, there are many reasons to be optimistic moving into the new year. Whilst we can’t, or shouldn’t, gloss over how tough the past nine months have been, we – as a company – feel we are in a stronger place than ever. The dedication, flexibility, drive and skill shown by all our people throughout this time has been truly inspirational.

I was just undertaking a review of the buy-to-let sector over the past six to eight weeks and, especially when combined with the amount of business we have written over this period, I was hugely encouraged by what I saw.

The recent crisis has made us all review the way we live our lives in some shape or form. Without getting too introspective, although the impact of the pandemic on our potential freedom and mortality has not radically changed the way I look at certain things, it has definitely made me far more appreciative of them.

One such area is the environment. The immediate change in our ecosystem was enlightening during the initial lockdown and whilst this hasn’t been forgotten in many quarters, other factors may have temporarily forced it down the agenda. This is understandable in such an uncertain world but it’s important to continue highlighting certain areas of this all-important environmental crusade when and where we can.

There has been a raft of data in recent weeks around strong levels of rental yields and rental asking prices which represents great news for landlords as we face the additional challenges attached to tiered lockdowns across the UK.

In addition, tenant demand is also reported to have reached a four-year high in the third quarter of this year. This is according to research carried out on behalf of Paragon Bank which outlined that – in the three months to the end of September – 29 per cent of landlords reported rising tenant demand, the highest level since the third quarter of 2016. Out of the 700 landlords surveyed, one in 10 reported significant growth.