Landlord company registrations rocket by 1,700%

Landlord company registrations rose from 1,882 in 2000 to a record 34,128 in 2025, an increase of more than 1,700%, according to an analysis of Companies House records.

Nearly 14,000 more businesses were incorporated during the first five months of 2026, continuing a sharp rise in landlords operating through limited companies.

The research by specialist insurer Just Landlords found that 141,292 landlord businesses were registered between 2020 and 2025.

That exceeds the 101,095 companies formed during the two previous decades combined.

Professionalisation of the PRS

The firm’s managing director, Clark Ross, said: “The scale of this shift is remarkable. We’re seeing clear evidence of the continued professionalisation of the private rented sector, with a growing number of landlords now operating through formal business structures.

“What’s particularly interesting is that growth is no longer concentrated in London alone.

“Some of the strongest increases have been seen across Scotland, the Midlands and the North of England, suggesting that professional landlord businesses are becoming an increasingly important part of regional housing markets across the UK.”

He added: “There are a number of factors that may be driving this shift.

“London’s property values have long made it the dominant market, but the comparatively lower entry costs in regional cities mean landlords can build a more diversified portfolio for the same initial outlay and potentially see stronger yields in the process.”

Landlord incorporations grow

The research shows that landlord company registrations totalled 23,998 between 2000 and 2009, equivalent to an annual average of around 2,400.

The figure increased to 77,097 during the following decade, averaging 7,710 a year.

Between 2020 and 2025, the annual average reached 23,549.

Why landlords incorporate

The analysis said changes to mortgage interest tax relief, higher stamp duty costs, regulatory requirements and longer-term portfolio planning may have encouraged more landlords to incorporate.

Company registrations increased by nearly 59% during the two years following the introduction of the 3% stamp duty surcharge on additional properties in April 2016.

London accounted for almost a third of all landlord company registrations recorded since 2000, making it the largest market in the analysis.

Its share of new annual incorporations has, however, fallen as registrations elsewhere have increased.

Regional growth data

Scotland recorded the fastest growth between 2020 and 2025, with annual registrations rising by 171%.

More than 2,100 landlord companies are now incorporated there each year, compared with fewer than 400 in 2015.

Northern Ireland recorded growth of 148% over the same five-year period, followed by Wales at 144%.

Among English regions, the West Midlands recorded the largest increase at 108%. Registrations in the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber both rose by 106%, while London recorded a 104% increase.

The East Midlands saw growth of 99%, followed by the East of England at 92%, the North East at 79%, the South East at 75% and the South West at 70%.

Across England, the increase was 95.3%.