The UK rental market is bracing for a significant shift, with an estimated 93,000 buy-to-let landlords expected to leave the sector this year, according to new research. The findings suggest a total loss of up to 150,000 landlords over the past two years.
The figures come from Black & White Bridging’s latest broker insights report, which draws on research conducted this summer. The report forecasts a 6% fall in the number of buy-to-let landlords by the end of 2025.
HMRC data shows there were 2.84 million unincorporated landlords in the UK in 2023. Of these, Black & White estimates that 57%—around 1.62 million—held buy-to-let mortgages, based on the English Private Landlord Survey 2021.
Already, the number of landlords with buy-to-let mortgages has dropped by 65,000 in the past year alone, equivalent to a 4% decline between 2023 and 2024.
Small Landlords Leaving First
“The survey points not only to the loss of more than 150,000 landlords from the market in just two years, but also to an accelerating rate of change,” said Damien Druce, chief operating officer at Black & White Bridging.
He suggested that landlords with one or two properties were most likely to step away, citing tightening regulation and rising costs as key drivers. “Being frank, brokers who write a lot of vanilla buy-to-let business may be nervous to find that there will be fewer landlords overall going into 2026,” he added.
However, Druce argued the market would likely consolidate around more professional operators, “a cohort more inclined to pursue specialist finance opportunities and complex property deals.”
Broker Sentiment Reflects Decline
The survey of intermediaries reveals similar expectations: just 23% of brokers anticipate growth in the number of buy-to-let landlords this year, while more than half (56%) predict a fall.
The findings add to mounting evidence of a reshaping rental sector, with smaller landlords retreating and a more professionalised landlord base emerging.