Rent payments are not covering the costs of a mortgage for an increasing number of buy-to-let investors, according to Heritable Bank.

Up to 33% of investors say the rental yields they receive on a property barely covers the cost of a mortgage, while a further 10% say they do not receive enough rent, according to Heritable Bank’s survey of 200 property investors.

However, 43% of investors regard property price growth as the most important element of property ownership, compared to 11% who see rental yields as the primary income.

Adrian Scott, managing director of residential mortgages at Heritable Bank, said: “The outlook for the property market is mixed, with price growth having slowed in most regions. This is an ideal time for professional mortgage advisers and expert lenders to help investors squeeze potential value out of poorly structured buy-to-let portfolios.”