Landlords face automatic Making Tax Digital sign-up
1 week ago | 8 comments
Hostility towards landlords becomes a growing concern
8:41 AM, 15th August 2026, 6 days ago
34
Categories:
Negative portrayals by politicians, tenant campaigners and the media have become the fourth most discussed issue affecting landlord confidence.
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) found that comments about the treatment and public portrayal of landlords have doubled as a proportion of all responses since the beginning of 2025.
The issue has moved from eighth to fourth place among the subjects raised by landlords in the organisation’s quarterly research.
Other top landlord concerns include costs, government and tenants.
More than 900 landlords took part in its latest consultation, which asked members why their confidence in the private rented sector had risen or fallen.
Landlords frustrated by rhetoric
The NRLA cautioned that hostility levels do not necessarily mean hostility itself was increasing.
Instead, landlords appeared more frustrated by the rhetoric surrounding their role.
One female portfolio landlord in the South East told the survey: “I don’t think the Renters’ Rights Act is a bad thing. But I believe the media has made it a negative and scary prospect for private landlords.”
Landlords intending to stay and those considering an exit expressed similar dissatisfaction with the way the sector was represented.
Those expecting to leave, though, mentioned the subject more frequently and gave it a higher ranking among their concerns.
Landlords looking to sell
The NRLA stopped short of claiming that hostility was directly causing landlords to sell.
It said negative portrayals appeared to form one part of a wider decision involving policy, costs and confidence.
A female landlord in the North West told researchers: “Persecution by an ill-informed government and activists who think all landlords are bad and have lots of money. Very wrong on all accounts.”
Another female portfolio landlord in the East Midlands said: “Successive governments for the past twenty years have increasingly disliked small landlords…yet many good landlords fulfil a strong social role that goes unrecognised.”
The NRLA concluded that many respondents felt they were being used as scapegoats for wider housing problems.
For those already questioning their future, it said escaping the ‘toxicity’ surrounding the sector had become another consideration when deciding whether to stay or leave.
Tags:
landlord confidence, landlord exodus, landlord hostility, NRLA research, Private Rented Sector, Renters’ Rights Act
Comments
Have Your Say
Every day, landlords who want to influence policy and share real-world experience add their voice here. Your perspective helps keep the debate balanced.
Not a member yet? Join In Seconds
Login with
or
Previous Article
Could a genuine property bargain fund most of its own deposit?Next Article
Just as landlords predicted - rents are going upRelated Articles
Rent controls risk landlord exodus – Propertymark
1 week ago | 10 comments
How a ‘model tenant’ secretly turned a family home into an HMO
1 week ago | 40 comments
Member Since September 2018 - Comments: 3708 - Articles: 5
12:01 PM, 17th August 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Darlington Landlord at 14/08/2026 – 18:37
ditto = property manager. Puts the focus purely on looking after a property (and not the tenant) – just as a letting agent would do.
Other options I sometimes use use ‘asset manager’ as clearly that is the only thing Liebour see us doing. We don’t actually work by all accounts…..
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 73
12:46 PM, 17th August 2026, About 4 days ago
The country needs more bricklayers not sociology graduates.
Sociology is regarded as a “soft degree” with no numerate component.
George Bernard-Shaw in Man and Superman made the point “Those who can do and those who cannot……..”
When selecting a course at University it is very wise to select one which will result in “meaningful” employment.
Sir Keith Joseph said society needs hewers of wood and fetchers of water,
That is people in the construction industry to build houses.
Brickies!
Kinsley Amis in his Education Black Papers said more means worse!
Member Since November 2015 - Comments: 591
4:57 PM, 17th August 2026, About 3 days ago
Reply to the comment left by DPT at 17/08/2026 – 10:47
Are you mixing up sociology with social work? Sociology is the study of human society. It seems like a research/data focused job rather than a physical role. Sadly AI will probably be better at crunching those facts into theories than their human counterparts.
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 73
5:25 PM, 17th August 2026, About 3 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Kate Mellor at 17/08/2026 – 16:57
I do not believe I am confusing the role of graduates with Sociology Degrees.
Brickies build houses and sociology graduates just talk about it.
Member Since November 2015 - Comments: 591
1:17 AM, 18th August 2026, About 3 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Fergus Wilson at 17/08/2026 – 17:25
My question wasn’t to you actually it was to DPT
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 73
5:09 AM, 18th August 2026, About 3 days ago
Noted.
There is little doubt HMG needs to ensure more houses are built to meet the demand. The current supply is insufficient!
Member Since June 2019 - Comments: 931
3:36 PM, 19th August 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Fergus Wilson at 18/08/2026 – 05:09
On the contrary – supply at present vastly exceeds demand, building firms are going bust and laying off workers and estate agents have never had more properties to sell.
The shortage is actually sufficiently well paid jobs to be able to buy them.
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 73
3:46 PM, 19th August 2026, About 2 days ago
You are swimming against the tide!
It is common currency that we need four million more homes.
Member Since January 2024 - Comments: 404
4:02 PM, 19th August 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Fergus Wilson at 19/08/2026 – 15:46
Or possibly 4m less immigrants?
Member Since September 2023 - Comments: 73
4:41 PM, 19th August 2026, About 1 day ago
The country cannot operate without immigrants!
They have to live somewhere!