Why landlord sentiment may now matter more than policy announcements

Policy changes often dominate headlines, but their real impact depends on how landlords respond. According to the Property118 Landlord Sentiment Survey Q1 2026, landlord sentiment may now be a more immediate indicator of market direction than policy announcements alone. Based on 2,380 completed responses, 57% of landlords plan to reduce their portfolios, while only 6.8% intend to expand. You can review the full findings here.

The implication is clear: policy sets the framework, but sentiment drives behaviour.

From policy to response

Policy changes influence the environment in which landlords operate, but they do not determine outcomes directly. What matters is how landlords interpret and respond to those changes. The survey data captures those responses in real time. It reflects not just awareness of policy, but the decisions that follow. This is where sentiment becomes critical.

Behaviour reflects perception

Landlord behaviour is shaped by perception as much as by fact.

If landlords perceive the environment to be more complex, less predictable or less aligned with their long-term objectives, their behaviour will adjust accordingly. This may lead to reduced investment, increased selling or a shift towards holding.

The survey findings show that these adjustments are already underway.

Why sentiment leads

Traditional indicators such as transaction volumes or price movements are inherently backward-looking, but by the time changes appear in those metrics, the underlying decisions have already been made. Sentiment, by contrast, provides an earlier signal.

The Property118 dataset shows how landlords are thinking before those thoughts translate into action. This makes it a leading indicator.

A shift in focus

Understanding the importance of sentiment changes how the market should be analysed. Rather than focusing solely on policy announcements or retrospective data, greater attention can be given to how landlords are reacting in real time. This provides a more immediate and, in many cases, more accurate view of direction.

A more responsive measure of change

The data suggests that landlord sentiment is becoming a key measure of market movement. As the survey series continues, it has the potential to offer a consistent view of how sentiment evolves alongside policy and market conditions.

For now, one conclusion stands out: policy may define the rules, but landlord sentiment is increasingly determining how the game is played.

A conversation worth having?

If you are weighing up your own strategy, whether that’s to sell, expand, or restructure to improve profitibility, it is worth having a discussion with a Property118 consultant to take a closer look at how your portfolio is structured as a whole now, and to forecast the outcomes based on multiple scenario’s.

These conversations are typically most useful for landlords with established portfolios and relatively modest borrowing who are beginning to reflect on how their assets could work more effectively in the years ahead.