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5/12/25 4:43 pm
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Official analysis of the Government's own recent survey of landlords has revealed the ongoing problems being created by its squeeze on the private rented sector including how many landlords are quitting the game or downsizing their portfolios.
The comments are within a new evaluation of the latest official English landlord survey, which unusually pulls no punches about the state of landlord confidence and the effect of extra regulation and taxes.
This includes that higher costs are forcing many larger and ‘corporate’ landlords to raise rents to cover the extra costs of operating properties including licensing.
Also, a quarter of these larger-portfolio and more ‘professional’ landlords are regularly asking tenants to provide guarantors, while nearly half of retired landlords with smaller portfolios or just one property – who are most risk averse because they rely on rent to fund their lives – are asking for rent up-front, which will become illegal once the Renters’ Rights Act goes live on May 1st.
And larger-portfolio landlords including corporate ones who are looking to downsize the number of private residential properties they rent out cited legislative and tax changes as a key reason, which smaller-portfolio and ‘accidental’ landlords are less likely to do so because they have nowhere to go.
All this analysis is based on the 2024 English Private Landlord Survey, but the commentary has only now been made public.
Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at Property Redress (pictured), which helped the Government compile the survey, says: “The latest EPLS report shows a sector under strain, with many landlords looking to leave, but in my view this also marks the beginning of a wider professionalisation of the private rented sector.
“That transition will not be painless. We will inevitably lose more landlords, and that is concerning because it affects the stability of the market, reduces supply, and puts upward pressure on rents for tenants.
“But we are now moving forward with more certainty. Landlords have a clearer understanding of the fiscal and regulatory landscape ahead, and we must prepare for a period of adjustment.
“This is a resilient sector. In the long term, I believe we will see the emergence of a sharper, more professional landlord cohort. Those entering or staying in the market will do so with a clear understanding of what is expected of them.
“While some landlords will understandably exit, others will adapt, and in time, I expect renewed interest from investors who see ways to make the new environment work for them.”
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