Not every landlord will survive the Renters’ Rights Act. But which landlords could thrive?.

Mark Eastwood, Director of Sales at Together

The Renters’ Rights Act is going to be the biggest shake-up of the private rental sector in a generation and not every landlord will survive the changing landscape. While that might be the stark reality, Buy to Let is far from dead with professional portfolio landlords perfectly positioned to grasp the opportunities unlocked by the new regulation.

Who is less likely to survive the Renters’ Rights Act?

Part-time landlords

Some industry commentators have suggested that a landlord exodus is taking place, estimating that close to 93,000 landlords left the industry in 2025.  But, while that is obviously an alarming figure, it is worth pointing out that nearly 45% of landlords in England and Wales owned only one rental property (representing 21% of tenancies).

It is this cohort that will find the financial, administrative and legal aspects of the Renters Reform Act most challenging, with limited time and resource to keep up with evolving compliance, and less tolerance for the risks and possible tenant disputes.

Additionally, part-time landlords who are approaching the end of fixed five year terms may find that higher rates and more realistic property valuations tip their decision towards selling up and exiting the industry.

Rogue landlords

One element of the Renters’ Rights Act that tenants and good landlords can agree on is the clamp down on rogue landlords. From providing sub-standard and dangerous living conditions, to ruthlessly evicting tenants to raise rents, these individuals have been a stain on the reputation of the private rental sector for far too long.

With higher exposure to enforcement and fines under the new laws, and less appetite to invest in the property standards and administration, more of these rogue landlords may finally be forced out.

Who will thrive under the Renters’ Rights Act?

Portfolio landlords, typically owning five or more properties, may feel like they’re under pressure right now, and to some extent they are. However, they are uniquely placed to not only weather the storm but succeed where their less prepared and professionalised peers aren’t.

Here’s are the key areas that I believe will help landlords stand out in 2026 and beyond:

Prepare

As with any business, it’s important that landlords understand the legislation, when each element is coming in to effect, and what they need to do and when. Operational readiness will be key.

It might seem easy but we’ve already seen confusion around something as simple as providing a specific Renters' Rights Act Information Sheet 2026 by 31 May 2026 to existing tenants with written agreements. With the government yet to formally announce when landlords will need to sign up to the new PRS database or when the new ombudsman service will be available, there’s still a lot of administration yet to navigate.

Being prepared early will help you to stay organised, beat the deadlines, and avoid any regulatory fines. It will also give you the time to make strategic choices about your portfolio, rather than reactive decision making.

Alternatively, you can speak to a management service who can help to complete the administrative tasks and keep you compliant but be aware that this will eat into your rental margins.

Professionalise

There’s been a noticeable increase in the number of Buy to Let limited companies over the last three years, with 2025 seeing a record breaking 66,587 newly incorporated companies created for the purpose.

It’s now estimated that 21% of all private landlords hold at least one property in an LTD structure, holding an average of 15.9 properties compared to individual landlords with 4.9 properties.

At Together, we’ve also recently seen Buy to Let lending to limited companies surpass lending to named individuals for the first time.

To me, this highlights a few key things:

• Professional landlords are looking at the most cost effective ways to protect their rental margins, using incorporation to minimise tax.
• Individual landlords are placing their assets in limited companies to protect their personal liability ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act.
• Portfolio landlords are committing to long-term investment in the sector by registering with Companies House.

Capitalise

Up until this point, I’ve discussed how professional landlords are positioning themselves to survive the Renters’ Rights Act change. But I truly believe that there will be opportunities for savvy investors to grow their portfolios further.

For me, one of the most obvious areas to capitalise on is by picking up stock that is being discarded by exiting landlords, especially older properties that you can add value to and make energy efficient. In some circumstances, these properties can be available below market value due to either a motivated seller or necessary upgrades.

Using a strategy such as Buy, Refurbish, Refinance, Rent can be an effective way to recycle your initial deposit and refurbishment capital as you grow your portfolio.

It’s important to understand how long the project will take, the work that needs to be completed, and how you are going to repay any finance, as missed deadlines can incur costs or put your property at risk.

Landlords still investing in BTL

Although many landlords are holding off on their next purchase or expressing that they’re selling at least one property, it’s interesting to see how that experienced real estate professionals are still making significant investments in rental properties.

For example, we recently supported the £3.8m auction purchase of a 40-property portfolio including HMOs with a bridging loan.

How is Together supporting landlords?

At Together, we’ve been supporting landlords for over 50 years and have helped our customers navigate several major changes to the private rental sector and economic ‘black swan’ events such as the pandemic.

This is why we can be confident that the industry is in transition rather than decline, opportunities still exist, and the landlords that prepare, professionalise and capitalise will survive and thrive whilst the sector settles.

As an experienced specialist lender, we will play our part with flexible finance solutions designed for complex, time‑sensitive and portfolio‑level decisions, whether that’s refinancing, acquisition, or repositioning assets in response to regulatory change.

If you’re a portfolio landlord thinking about your next purchase or deciding your next step, speak to one of our regional experts to find out how we can provide access to the finance you need.