Landlord confidence is low as the Renters' Rights Act nears its six-month mark, with 78% of landlords in England reporting no confidence in the rental market. Flatshare website SpareRoom surveyed 668 landlords in September, all of whom let a majority of their properties in England.
Fewer than 4% of respondents are expanding their portfolios. Instead, 36% are reducing them, and 27% are leaving the rental market altogether, while another 36% plan no changes.
Landlord confidence holds steady, but plans differ by portfolio size
Landlord confidence is almost identical across portfolio sizes, with 78% or 79% of each group reporting no changes. Behaviour splits sharply, however. Among landlords with five or more rental properties, 53% are reducing their portfolios, and 22% are leaving the market.
Single-property landlords are far more likely to quit, with 44% leaving and just 9% reducing, while 46% plan no changes. Those with one to four properties sit between the two, with 27% reducing and 31% leaving.
Weak landlord confidence sits alongside tighter supply. Since the Act took effect in May 2026, SpareRoom data show room rents at record highs in most UK regions and supply in negative growth.
"It's still early days for a change that's supposed to offer a generational shift in behaviour," said Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom.
"But for all the good it has done tenants so far, and the end of no-fault evictions and bidding wars has been positive, the Renters' Rights Act has also battered supply and forced up asking rents.
"It's unlikely this will be resolved any time soon because landlords are still reacting to the changed landscape. Some have told us that while they're not selling up right now, they don't plan to re-let when their current tenants leave.
"While landlords have the option to walk away and invest their money elsewhere, tenants don't. They're now facing the fallout of a private rented sector that's deterring those who provide homes."
