There may be trouble ahead...

... for unprepared landlords.

It sounds like a fairly basic statement, but after weeks of stories highlighting how bou-to-let mortgages were leading the market, we've come across a number of more troubling news today.

Specialist broker Mortgages for Business reports that one in ten residential landlords has been asked by their lender to move on to another lender, mainly due to RBS and Brandford & Bingley wanting to reduce their exposure to the property market or - as is the case for Bradford & Bingley - looking to exit the market completely.

At the same time, UK Asset Resolution (UKAR), the state-owned lender, reports 100,000 customers in danger of defaulting on their mortgage. Many of them are landlords whose interest-only mortgages are due to mature by 2020 and who have no idea how to pay off the loan, according to UKAR. 

On Friday, BDRC Continental reported that single-property landlords were struggling to keep on top of payments.

All doom & gloom? Not necessarily. As with much of the news we've had on property investment since the recession started, it goes to show that well-prepared landlords with solid finance models and well chosen properties can weather a storm.

At the same time, the current recession will hopefully serve as a cautionary tale to those looking to invest in property in the future - and here are a few things to consider no matter what the economy is doing: ensure you have the funds and finance in place, don't fall for deals that look too good to be true (they usually are) and select your property(ies) wisely.