No I disagree : Buy to let, being essentially free property, placed normal buyers, the poor saps who actually wanted to live in their property, at extreme disadvantage. Because of the vast differential in cost, in the competitive market of the last 15 years, they were regularly outbid, leading to an inflationary spiral as they were forced to bid higher to get into the market.

What helped this was that multiple buyers became preferred bidders via estate agents. When I sold my flat it never went on the open market as it was bought by a buy-to-let-er who was on their contact list.

Now they are making losses cos the rents aren't equalling the mortgage costs, and are having to sell at a loss. Good, I hope they all lose a lot of money. But I would have preferred such a distortion had been prevented in the first place.

keep to the Fen Causeway