THE vast majority of landlords in Britain are 'part time' and have what many would class as 'normal' jobs, renting out property to supplement their main income, research has found.

The study from online letting agent MakeUrMove shows that many have full-time occupations, such as IT professionals, teachers, and accountants.

It shows that a mere five per cent of landlords are professionals and own five properties or more.

This suggests very few landlords rake in profits from owning huge property portfolios.

The survey also found that just 18 per cent became landlords because they wanted to create a property business. Some 16 per cent let a property they inherited.

With over half of landlords only owning one rented property, the research revealed it is also a misconception that most landlords are wealthy.

A majority of landlords questioned in the study let property as a subsidiary income to their main occupations, which varied from builders to nurses, to retail managers and postal workers.

According to Alexandra Morris, managing director of MakeUrMove, the figures shed some light on what British landlords really look like.

“The reality is that wealthy, multi-property-owning landlords are quite rare,” she said.

“Most landlords are ordinary people working in regular jobs who are renting out a property to try and save for their retirement or to supplement their main income.

“With 53 per cent of landlords owning one single property, it’s clear that most landlords are not living off a portfolio of properties. They work as electricians, taxi drivers, hairdressers or social workers. They are just regular people.”

She added: “It’s vital that the important work of protecting tenants is balanced with the need to support small landlords, who make up the backbone of the private rented sector (PRS).”

The research also found that 40 per cent of landlords have only been a landlord for three years or less, with many admitting they are new to the market and lack an understanding of its laws and regulations.

The survey report suggests that new landlords are a symptom of the churn in the sector, with many accidental landlords exiting the market after only a small number of tenancies.