Buy to let is not the UK sub-prime market, we have our healthy sub prime market already, (including sub prime buy to let mortgages). Why does no-one mention what actually happened in the US market: 100% mortgages for people with bad credit profiles, payments deferred for 2 years. In those 2 years the FED stuck rates up circa 17 times in a row, no wonder they had a 'few' problems. Who wouldn't be tempted to buy a house with no deposit and no payments for 2 years?

Ewan , sherborne,

Return on buy to let was good for me. I am selling now. On a £250k house rent is £950 that is a return of 4% at best with the property being one month a year empty and no unpridicted nasties. Mortgage rates are 5.6% at best and likely to stay high even if BoE drops rate. Without much hope for a capital increase in the next 3 years I decided to take a 110% return on capital and keep low for a while.

Tony, London,

Richard, leeds. I certainly want BTL to fail. For a few people (relatively speaking) to hoard an essential asset and risk ruining the lives of the upcoming generation (try bringing up a family, choosing schools etc with no more than 6 months security of tenure) is immoral and should be firmly stamped upon. I don't accept the shortage argument - prices don't fall when demand genuinely and significantly exceeds supply. What we are seeing is the start of a very big bang as the property bubble bursts and I for one will shed not a single tear for the BTL brigade who face financial ruin. And, if I happen to be wrong about the market - I will vote for the political party which promises to reintroduce genuine long term security of tenure and rent control back into private rental market. Before you accuse me of being bitter, I own my own house - just one, that's all I need. Any bitterness you detect comes from a social conscience about some of the current older generation cheating the young.

Graham, Oxford, UK

seems some people want buy-to-let fail. it might be that it becomes less profitable, that doesn't mean all landlords will sell up. every business has good and bad times. if lanlords do start selling there's plenty of first time buyers to take up any slack. prices won't tumble for this reason. supply and demand. until the demand goes away prices will stay around the level they are now or increase as the economy picks up.

Richard, leeds, uk

The right decision by The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee's (MPC) demonstrates a deep understanding of present developments in capital markets, because the introduction of numerous changes to the interest rates during relatively short time period may lead to the generation of chaotic mode of operation in the UK finances, and destabilise the full macroeconomic situation. The current interest rates have to stay without any changes until 2008.

Viktor O. Ledenyov, Kharkov, Ukraine

Seb, it is really quite straightforward: when financing costs exceed rental income (as they have for some time), the only logic for holding a buy-to-let is capital appreciation. When (not if) prices fall, buy-to-let will collapse. Buy-to-let is the UK's sub-prime.

John, London,

We will now start to see how much buy to let is supporting the market. Nobody likes the sound of falling returns.

barry dupont, brighton, east sussex

Humpty Dumpty sat on a buy to let. Humpty Dumpty is about to have a great fall.

anthony, london, england

bye bye to let

george enock, tunbridge wells, kent

Well, it's only about time! House prices have gone way beyond any norms or fundamentals for far too long and to the detriment of the wider economy. A crash won't be pleasant but there is real need for price normalisation.

MB, Edinburgh,

Sorry to disappoint you Michele, but with more & more first time buyers being forced to rent for longer due to high mortgage rates, combined with a continued shortage of property in the UK (housebuilders started work this year on 9% less new developments than in the previous 2 years), buy-to-let is here to stay and will get more profitable.

A lot of this antipathy towards the buy-to-let landlord is a relection of the usual British attitude towards success; jealousy. The government isn't providing cheap rental accomodation, so someone has to fill the gap, and if they can make money from it as well, then that's an added incentive. If you can't beat them, join them!

Seb Francis, London,

Kiss buy-to-let bye bye

Michele, Richmond,