Conversely, the research found that 56% of BTL investors wanted to keep or buy more rental properties in the future.

Nearly a quarter of landlords looking to sell blamed falling yields (24%), 23% attributed their desire to sell to tax changes, while 19% stated cooling house prices as the main reason.

Of those interested in leaving the market, nearly two-thirds (60%) said that property management had become a burden, while 61% undervalued the costs involved.

Sam Handfield-Jones, head at Octopus Choice (pictured above), said: “Brits still have an incessant love affair with bricks and mortar – but the hassle and cost of buy-to-let is a source of growing frustration, and some landlords may find that their once reliable day-to-day income is becoming harder and harder to come by.

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“But this isn’t the case across all parts of the market, with money still to be made from the right property in the right region.”

The analysis found that an average London house worth £475,000 would have to be sold for £590,000 eight years later just to break even.

However, Scottish landlords can see average annual returns of 8.8% on their investments.

Some 27% of landlords wanting to sell planned to invest the proceeds from house sales into their main property, while over a third (37%) would look to re-invest in another asset class.

“Against this backdrop, it’s not surprising that some investors are seeking alternative ways to indirectly invest in the property market.

“For those looking to leave, there are growing numbers of ways to keep one foot in the door.

“Property-backed P2P lending products like Octopus Choice allow investors to target an attractive return by lending to property professionals and buy-to-let landlords.

“This means you benefit from the security of property, without the cost and hassle of actually being a landlord yourself.”