"Our survey and lending data tell us that landlords remain committed to the sector, not just staying put, but seizing new investment opportunities available in the market"
- Rob Stanton - Landbay
Positivity among buy-to-let (BTL) landlords has more than doubled since last year’s Autumn Budget, according to new research from Landbay.
More than a third of landlords (36%) surveyed earlier this year said they felt positive about the future of their BTL businesses, compared with 18% following the Autumn Budget in 2024. At the same time, the proportion of landlords who felt negative about their business prospects fell from 43% to 21%.
Just over 40% (44%) described their outlook as neutral, a figure broadly consistent with previous surveys, including Q2 2024 (40%).
Landlords who remain upbeat attributed their optimism to continued rental demand and strong yields. Many long-term investors noted that property remains “very viable” and a “rewarding investment.”
One respondent commented, “Whilst landlords are exiting the market, this has caused rents to increase because of the lack of stock, allowing a decent return. It took two hours to rent my last property.”
Another added, “I believe that demand for rental will continue, the country cannot build the number of new homes required. Operating as a limited company still works; those owned in personal names are less viable, which we intend to address when the time is right.”
Landbay’s latest landlord survey explored attitudes toward regulation, government policy and market prospects. Conducted in May 2025, the research covered landlords with combined portfolios of around 3,000 properties. The findings were gathered before reports emerged suggesting the Treasury could introduce National Insurance (NI) payments on rental income in this year’s Autumn Budget.
Rob Stanton, sales and distribution director at Landbay, said, “It is very encouraging to see landlord confidence rebounding. The data reflects what we are hearing on the ground, with high rental demand and strong yields helping to underpin optimism across the sector. On top of that, our survey and lending data tell us that landlords remain committed to the sector, not just staying put, but seizing new investment opportunities available in the market.
“As the data demonstrates, this isn’t the story for everyone and is likely a shifting picture as we head towards the Autumn Budget,” Stanton continued. “As a lender in this space, it is our duty to work closely with our intermediary partners to throw our arms around these landlords, remind them what the sector has to offer and use our broad range of products to give them the confidence to refinance their existing properties and expand their rental portfolios.”
