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One in three residential landlords in the UK are still undecided about whether they will vote to leave or remain in the upcoming referendum on the European Union, according to new research. The landlord panel survey from the National Landlords Association (NLA) is published a little over a week before the referendum on 23 June which will decide whether or not the UK stays in the EU. The findings show that landlords are evenly split, with 35% intending to vote leave and 35% intending to vote to remain with the rest undecided. Landlords were also divided about whether EU membership would be beneficial to their future business prospects, with 53% believing that EU membership would be beneficial and 47% believing it would be harmful. Regionally, more landlords in London intend to vote to remain in the EU than anywhere else in the UK at 45%. By contrast, more landlords in the North East intend to vote to leave than anywhere else in the UK, with 44% saying they will do so. A breakdown of the survey figures show that in Scotland 42% want to remain and 30% to leave while in Wales it is just 20% who would vote to remain and 40% to leave. Elsewhere it is pretty evenly split with 38% in the East of England for remaining and 40% to leave. In the South West it is 35% and 36% respectively, in the North West it is also 35% and 36%, in the South East it is30% and 37%, while in Yorkshire and Humber it is 33% and 29%. In the West Midlands 31% want to remain and 40% to leave and it is even more diverse in the East Midlands with just 24% opting to remain and 40% to leave. And in London some 45% in the central area want to remain and 29% to leave but in outer London it is 37% and 34%. ‘Landlords, much like the rest of the British public, are divided on how they will vote in the EU referendum which means the decision looks to go down to the wire,’ said Richard Lambert, chief executive officer at the NLA. ‘The Remain and Leave campaigns have both had difficulty persuading the public on the benefits or hazards of a Brexit vote, and they have struggled to provide any clear analysis about the impact exiting the EU would have on the buy to let market,’ he explained. ‘As a result, landlords appear more likely to vote in this referendum based on their attitudes to issues such as national security, trade, and immigration, rather than the effect on the UK property market or their businesses,’ he added. Taylor Scott International
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