Almost three quarters (72%) of pensioners who have an investment property said they would struggle to make ends meet if they didn’t have the income from their buy-to-let, according to a poll carried out by Responsible Equity Release.

The reliance on income from BTL in retirement is revealed, with eight out of ten (81%) pensioners aged over 65 that own a BTL admitting their properties provide an important, even vital, boost to their retirement income, especially with low interest rates hammering retirees’ savings.

Responsible Life polled more than 1,000 retirees about owning a BTL property. The majority, more than nine out of ten (92%), said they are worried about the changes to mortgage interest tax relief and the impact on the profit they make from their investment property.

The BTL tax changes coming into force have left many pensioner landlords considering whether it’s worth holding onto their property investments, with 41% saying that although their BTL property was a valuable income generator, they are now thinking seriously about selling it.

Steve Wilkie, MD at Responsible Equity Release, comments: “For many pensioners, having a buy-to-let property has been a life saver in this low interest environment. While their savings have languished, earning very little interest, and pension income has been hit hard by falling share prices, property income has remained strong. Without the income boost from their buy-to-let, many would really be struggling to make ends meet. But the Chancellor has yet again ignored UK’s retirees when he announced changes to the way buy-to-let would be taxed.”