Apparently, that's the thinking behind the new property investors who are buying starter homes and leaving them empty rather than risking wear, tear and damage by allowing tenants to actually, well, live in them.

Research by the magazine Inside Housing found that up to 50 per cent of new flats in Leeds were being left empty, 40 per cent in Salford and 10 to 15 per cent in East London. The trend extends across most English cities, with 24 per cent of new homes being left empty in Manchester, 16 per cent in Nottingham and a large proportion in Newcastle and Liverpool.

If these - as the Telegraph article claims - are buy-to-let properties... I'd like to know how the owners are funding the mortgages.