Polling conducted by the National Landlords Association (NLA) suggests that private landlords have lost faith in the Conservative Party, with only one in six (15.8%) now saying that they would support them in an election.

This polling, conducted shortly after the once strongly pro-business party announced its intention to abolish the no fault section 21 possession process and end fixed-term tenancies, found that more than two thirds (69%) of the landlords responding had voted Conservative in 2017. However, of those, only 25% said they would do so again were an election called today.

Meanwhile, 85% of landlords stated that they would be likely to vote against any party proposing to remove Section 21 and 89% would vote against any party proposing rent control.

Richard Lambert, CEO at the NLA, said: “It’s hardly surprising that landlords are losing faith in the Conservatives given the way their Government has overturned the economic, and now legislative, foundations of the private rented sector since 2015. The Tories’ attitude seems to be “Well, who else are landlords going to vote for?” The response is coming back loud and clear, “Not you”.

“The Conservatives’ mantra that they are the party for business has a hollow echo to the 2m plus landlords in the UK who see the party and its Government refusing to recognise them as having legitimate business interests.”