The number of amateur or part-time landlords who supplement their day job with rental income has reached its highest ever level according to research findings by the National Landlords Association (NLA).

Part-time landlords now make up more than 70% of the sector with a fifth of these landlords encouraged by the current rental market that they are intending to add to their property portfolio in 2014.

Carolyn Uphill, Chairman of the NLA, said: “Private landlords put an estimated £20bn into providing homes the UK and we know that more and more people are looking to buy-to-let as an alternative means of saving for the future.

“Being a landlord can be very rewarding but it’s vital that anyone considering a move in to buy-to-let, or indeed looking to expand their portfolio, is thoroughly researched and aware of what it involves. A part-time landlord typically has a day job so it can be a very challenging task to keep on top of managing and maintaining homes for people whilst juggling the demands of daily life.”

A typical part-time landlord has on average four properties and generates an annual gross rental income of £31,000, although a quarter of this income is spent on property or portfolio related maintenance costs. Whilst over 40% of ‘amateur’ landlords have used buy-to-let finance to fund their portfolio, the same percentage of all landlords agree that it’s getting easier to access buy-to-let mortgages.