Who Are the UK’s Landlords?
The demographics of our respondents reveal a maturing sector. The private rented sector is overwhelmingly populated by older, experienced investors, with only a thin pipeline of younger landlords entering the market.
RESULTS of the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey (Q1 2026)
3:12 PM, 2nd April 2026, 1 week ago
19
Categories:
2,380 landlords completed our recent Property118 landlord survey.
If you were one of them, Thank You; it’s by far the UK’s largest landlord sentiment survey, EVER!
We have published the high-level results below, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. As always, the devil is in the detail.
The raw data captured will enable us to drill down to create thousands of additional unique datasets and valuable insights. That will, in turn, provide content for many more research articles in the coming weeks and months. Examples might include subjects like; what percentage of landlords over the age of 60 have no mortgages or an LTV of under 30% and use life insurance as part of their property rental business strategy, or …
What percentage of portfolio landlords who own over 20 properties are planning to exit completely, and why?
This is likely to be of interest to mainstream media, political analysts, future corporate sponsors, and academic research organisations, all of which we will be delighted to hear from.
All data collected is, of course, anonymised for confidentiality purposes.
WHAT COMES NEXT?
This is just the beginning. The raw data will allow us to explore cross-tabulated insights, such as the relationship between age, leverage, and exit intentions, or regional variations in ownership structures and management approaches. These deeper analyses will follow in dedicated articles over the coming weeks and months.
Exclusive Survey
The UK’s Largest EVER Landlord Sentiment Survey
47,886 landlord invited to participate, 2,380 surveys completed, between them; landlords who completed the survey own 23,098 properties.
Property118 · Q1 2026 Results
Age Range of Respondents
2,383 responses
56 to 70
54.3%
71+
22.5%
41 to 55
20.7%
Under 40
2.6%
Key Insight: Over three-quarters of landlords (76.8%) are aged 56 or older. With fewer than 3% under 40, succession planning and portfolio exit strategies are becoming critical sector-wide concerns. This ageing demographic is likely to accelerate the rate of property disposals in the years ahead.
UK Region
2,520 responses
London
19.2%
South East
17.8%
South West
12.0%
North West
11.9%
West Midlands
7.5%
East Midlands
7.0%
East Anglia
6.8%
Yorkshire & Humber
6.5%
North East
4.0%
Scotland
3.7%
South Wales
2.7%
North Wales
0.6%
Northern Ireland
0.4%
Property Types (Typically)
2,520 responses
Houses, flats, bungalows
86.0%
HMOs
7.2%
Other
4.9%
Rather not say
1.2%
Commercial
0.6%
Key Insight: The overwhelming majority (86%) let standard residential properties. HMOs account for just 7.2%, which is noteworthy given the significantly higher regulatory burden landlords face with this property type.
Tenant Types (Typically)
2,520 responses
Working
63.3%
A mixture
28.3%
Benefits
3.5%
Students
3.3%
Rather not say
1.7%
Regional Spread: London and the South East together account for 37% of respondents, reflecting the concentration of property investment in higher-value markets. The North West (11.9%) shows strong representation, likely influenced by the growth of buy-to-let investment in cities such as Manchester and Liverpool. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland remain underrepresented at under 8% combined.
How Are Properties Owned and Managed?
Ownership structures, leverage, and management approaches reveal a sector that is increasingly professionalising, yet one where the hands-on, personally-owned model remains dominant.
Current Ownership Structure
2,520 responses
Personal
61.2%
Company
14.4%
Mixed
13.7%
Partnership
7.0%
Rather not say
2.3%
LLP
1.5%
Preferred Structure for Future Purchases
2,380 responses
Limited company (SPV)
52.1%
Personal name
30.1%
Family investment company
10.9%
Ordinary partnership
5.1%
LLP
1.8%
A striking disconnect: 61% of landlords currently hold property in their personal name, yet 52% say they would use a limited company for any future purchase. The Section 24 tax changes have fundamentally altered the calculus of ownership.
The Incorporation Shift: The gap between current personal ownership (61.2%) and the preference for limited company SPVs going forward (52.1%) is one of the most telling findings in this survey. It signals that while many landlords are locked into legacy personal ownership structures, the sector has decisively moved towards corporate vehicles for new acquisitions. The rise of the Family Investment Company (10.9%) as a preferred structure also points towards growing interest in inheritance tax planning and intergenerational wealth transfer.
Property Management
2,520 responses
Self-managed entirely
40.8%
Fully managed by agents
23.8%
A mixture
19.0%
Agents for letting only
15.9%
Rather not say
0.5%
Key Insight: Over 40% of landlords manage their properties entirely themselves, with a further 16% only using agents for tenant finding. This means the majority of the private rented sector relies on landlords’ personal time and expertise rather than professional management, raising important questions about regulatory compliance and standards.
Mortgage Gearing (Average LTV)
2,520 responses
No mortgages
29.3%
31% to 50% LTV
17.3%
Less than 30% LTV
14.4%
51% to 60% LTV
14.4%
61% to 70% LTV
10.6%
71% to 75% LTV
8.4%
Rather not say
3.6%
76%+ LTV
2.0%
Key Insight: Nearly 30% of respondents have no mortgages at all, and over 60% are geared at 50% LTV or below. Only 2% are highly leveraged above 75%. This paints a picture of a financially conservative sector with substantial equity buffers, which may partly explain why mass defaults have not materialised despite recent interest rate rises.
What Lies Ahead? Future Intentions
Perhaps the most consequential findings relate to landlords’ plans for the next twelve months. The results should serve as a serious warning to policymakers about the potential impact on housing supply.
Over the Next 12 Months, Which Is Most Likely for You?
2,380 responses
Sell one or more properties
39.7%
Stay the same
36.2%
Exit completely
17.3%
Buy one or more properties
6.8%
Critical Finding: A combined 57% of landlords plan to either sell some properties or exit the sector entirely within the next year. Only 6.8% intend to purchase additional properties. If these intentions translate into action, the impact on housing supply in the private rented sector could be severe, potentially displacing hundreds of thousands of tenants and placing further pressure on an already strained market.
For every landlord planning to buy, more than eight are planning to sell or exit entirely. This is not a market in equilibrium.
Likely to Remortgage in the Next 12 Months?
2,380 responses
No
68.5%
Yes
31.6%
Key Insight: Nearly a third of landlords expect to remortgage within the year. With interest rates still elevated compared to pre-2022 levels, many of these landlords will face significantly higher repayment costs, which could further accelerate the trend towards disposals.
Is Life Insurance Part of Your Property Strategy?
2,380 responses
No
80.4%
Yes
19.6%
Key Insight: Over 80% of landlords do not use life insurance as part of their property investment strategy, whether for inheritance tax planning or mortgage protection. Given the ageing profile of the respondent base, this represents a significant gap in financial planning and a potential opportunity for advisers.
What Does This All Mean?
Taken together, these results tell a clear story. The UK’s private rented sector is dominated by older landlords who own standard residential properties in their personal names, typically let to working tenants, and who manage much of the process themselves. They are, on the whole, conservatively geared and financially resilient.
But the mood is unmistakably cautious. The weight of cumulative regulation, tax changes (particularly Section 24), and the prospect of further legislative intervention through the Renters’ Reform agenda have tipped the balance for many. Nearly six in ten landlords plan to reduce their portfolio or leave the sector entirely over the coming year. Only a small fraction intend to expand.
The shift towards limited company ownership for future purchases is well established but cannot easily be applied retrospectively to existing portfolios without incurring significant capital gains tax liabilities. This creates a structural barrier that locks many landlords into less tax-efficient personal ownership, further eroding the incentive to remain in the sector.
For policymakers, the message is stark: without meaningful reform or at least a pause in the pace of regulatory change, the supply of privately rented homes is likely to contract significantly. The tenants these landlords currently house will need to find accommodation elsewhere, at a time when social housing waiting lists are already at record levels and new housebuilding remains well below target.
Why your constructive feedback matters
We plan to run the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey around the last day of every quarter. This was our first, and we’ve already received some extremely constructive feedback following the article announcing the lauch. The more feedback we receive in the comments below, the better our future surveys will become.
These surveys are YOUR way to influence future legislation, and perhaps even cause u-turns and repeals of existing legislation.
We also need your help to share this message on Social Media such as Linkedin, Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and X, to reach other landlords.
|
★★★★★
|
Help other landlords find Property118If you have found Property118 useful, a short Trustpilot review would make a meaningful difference. It helps other landlords decide whether our research is worth following. |
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
Related Articles
Property118 launches the UK’s largest ever landlord sentiment survey
1 week ago | 19 comments
Member Since December 2022 - Comments: 1
1:09 PM, 3rd April 2026, About 6 days ago
What lies ahead?
I will sell my one property when my tenant moves out, I will never evict him.
I have had enough.
Member Since August 2023 - Comments: 34
4:56 PM, 3rd April 2026, About 6 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Hugh Baily at 03/04/2026 – 08:22
I mean inheritance tax…..not capital gains tax!
Member Since January 2017 - Comments: 110
4:52 PM, 4th April 2026, About 5 days ago
Talk of landlords selling has been going on since S24 was introduced.
Many councils now say they are spending large amounts housing people in hotels etc., which is damaging their budgets. I spoke with people from councils involved in housing in 2 parts of the country and they said how bad things were. Also many of us landlords are getting 50+ applicants for every property advertised. So, if this is the case, then how can it be that the governement has not by now done a u-turn on the anti landlord policies?
They have just made it even worse with the RRA and as stupid as this and the last government are, something doesn’t add up.
Where have all those not in hotels or evicted by landlords gone? Sofa surfing with parents or friends?
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 1575
9:30 AM, 5th April 2026, About 4 days ago
When it comes to selling, it will be the worst rental properties that go first. The ones with damp and mould. The ones with the most dreadful landlords.
These homes often house the worst tenants. The ones that cannot afford heating because their money is spent on drugs and alcohol.
Landlords with quality homes will not want to house the displaced tenants because there will be plenty of better tenants available. The LHA-chasing landlords will reduce in number.
Where will these tenants live? I guess it’ll be temporary accommodation such as hotels, freed up by moving migrants into new housing. Some may be lucky and secure a room in an HMO. I feel sorry for the neighbours,
Member Since June 2014 - Comments: 1562
10:13 AM, 5th April 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Cider Drinker at 05/04/2026 – 09:30
“Where will these tenants live?”
Same as before the Housing Act 1988, in unlicensed slums. All paid for by benefits.
Councils turn a blind eye to them blaming ‘lack of resources’. Far more lucrative to chase non-criminal landlords for minor infractions.
Member Since August 2023 - Comments: 34
11:29 AM, 5th April 2026, About 4 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Monty Bodkin at 05/04/2026 – 10:13
Run by rogue Landlords who will increasingly replace good landlords. Right?
Member Since December 2023 - Comments: 26
11:35 AM, 7th April 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by John MacAlevey at 03/04/2026 – 09:13
If, they are illegal they do not have the right to rent. No landlord who is as the survey says is conservative would be renting to someone with no right to rent. So, that is the landlords fault if he is not checking.Is that not what the check for right to rent is about. Who is the indigenous population? Pre the Ark. Most private rented are working and you will probably find they have legal right to be here. But, they are middle class and never seem to be THE problem despite not being INDIGENOUS. Just like in early 2000 when the Asylum seekers were apparently nicking all the social housing even though they had no legal right to social housing. But, no one noticed all the Europeans having right to social housing even those who had never worked. Including the drug users of Italy, Portugal, Spain. 30 years as a homeless worker opens your eyes to the smoke and mirrors. Brexit has not solved the issue of Europeans who do not work having the eligibility for housing. But we are talking about them are we.
Member Since January 2023 - Comments: 317
7:53 PM, 7th April 2026, About 2 days ago
I participated in this research so well done on articulating the results so well vs other National Landlord Associations. Let’s hope we get some media coverage Mark
Member Since January 2011 - Comments: 12193 - Articles: 1395
8:09 PM, 7th April 2026, About 2 days ago
Reply to the comment left by Crouchender at 07/04/2026 – 19:53
Is there any way you could possibly help us to achieve that?