In the old days, people bought houses because they needed a place to stay. Some bought houses because it would serve as a status symbol. However, the situation is very different these days. Rented houses and apartments being full and plenty, people are increasingly opting for renting an apartment instead of shelling out large chunks of their income to buy a home of their own. In my opinion, that makes bad business sense, unless one has found a landlord who charges dirt-cheap rates. Over the years, the amount that you cough up with respect to the rent and the deposits will be far in excess of the amount that you would pay if you were to buy the house. And what is worse, you will not even be left with a house that you own.

However, a lot of house owners have realized this need for rented apartments. More and more people are moving from their hometowns in search of more lucrative jobs. They need places to stay. So, those who possess more than one house often let one out to tenants in return for rent.

Increasing numbers of people who have the means are recognizing the profit involved in the real estate business. By renting out your house for a decent sum, you can quickly recover the amount that you had paid while buying it. Very few other investments allow you to recover your money quite as easily and safely.

If you do not have sufficient money to purchase a house outright, just walk over to the nearest bank. These days, a new kind of mortgage plan has emerged to suit those who buy houses with the sole intention of letting it out. When you go out to apply for such a mortgage, you will have to supply information regarding what kind of a rental amount you will be expecting and what your current income is. Based on this and some other information such as the amount that you are currently paying on loans, you will be given a certain amount as your mortgage loan.

A buy to let mortgage does make life easier for the landlord who intends to rent out his house. However, this kind of a loan does have some cons. For instance, the interest rate is relatively higher in this case than for other mortgages. Moreover, the applicant would have to put down a larger sum of money as deposit in this case. However, despite the cons, this type of loan is becoming very popular.