More UK landlords plan to grow than sell up, finds August Landlord Survey 2026

A survey of 276 UK landlords finds a third plan to add properties, but only a third know when Making Tax Digital starts for them and fewer than one in four know about the new landlord database and ombudsman

LONDON – 12 October 2026, August, the property management platform for UK landlords, today publishes the August Landlord Survey 2026, a study of 276 UK landlords carried out between 4 and 25 September 2026. The findings challenge the idea of a landlord exodus. More landlords plan to grow their portfolios than to shrink them, and most would re-let their next vacant property. But the survey also shows landlords are struggling to keep up with the pace of change, with clear gaps in awareness of the Renters' Rights Act and Making Tax Digital.

The survey benchmarks its results against the government's English Private Landlord Survey 2024. It finds landlords who are bigger, younger and more business-like than the picture painted by government data, with 74% owning or letting five or more properties.

Key findings

Landlords plan to grow, not exit. 34% plan to add properties over the next two years, compared with 7% in the government's 2024 survey. 29% plan to shrink or sell up, slightly below the 31% recorded in 2024, and 69% would re-let their next vacant property, up from 59%.

Confidence holds, but falls sharply with age. Landlords rate their confidence in being a UK landlord over the next five years at 7.1 out of 10 on average, falling to 4.7 among landlords aged over 65. Further legislation or regulation is the single biggest worry, named by 26%.

Landlords understand the Renters' Rights Act, but fewer than half have acted on it. 81% say they understand the Act at least in its main points, yet only 46% have changed how they operate. 39% have tightened referencing or affordability checks and 32% now ask for a guarantor. Just 23% know about the new landlord database and ombudsman, the least understood part of the Act.

Only a third know when Making Tax Digital starts for them. 35% could name the correct start date for their level of income. Among landlords with qualifying income of £50,000 or more, 48% say they are already in Making Tax Digital. Of those, 75% expect it to add at least four hours of work every quarter, and 34% expect it to add more than a day.

Self-management is on the rise. 37% use a letting agent only to find a tenant, then manage the property themselves. 27% have left an agent in the last two years and now self-manage, and 69% say they are likely to self-manage all their properties within two years.

Comment

"The headlines say landlords are leaving the market. The landlords we surveyed are telling a different story," said Richard Samuel, Chief Executive of August. "Most are staying, a third plan to grow, and they are running their portfolios as businesses. But they are being asked to absorb the Renters' Rights Act and Making Tax Digital at the same time, and the data shows where they are falling behind. Only a third know when Making Tax Digital starts for them, and fewer than one in four know about the landlord database. That is where landlords need clearer, simpler help right now."

The survey was distributed with the support of East Midlands Property Owners (EMPO), the not-for-profit landlords' association for the East Midlands, established in 1942.

"These findings match what we hear from our members every week," said Vicki Hextall, Area Manager, East Midlands Property Owners (EMPO). "Most landlords have made a real effort to understand the Renters' Rights Act, and the fact that so many have tightened their referencing shows they are trying to reduce risk rather than walk away. But the low awareness of the landlord database and ombudsman is a warning. Every landlord in England will have to register, and the sector has a lot of work to do to get that message out before the deadline."

The full August Landlord Report 2026, including charts, comparisons with government data and landlords' own comments, is free to read on the August website. Landlords who want to stay on top of compliance and Making Tax Digital can try August free.

Notes to editors

The August Landlord Survey 2026 was an online survey of 276 UK landlords, carried out between 4 and 25 September 2026. Respondents were UK residents aged 18 or over who own or let at least one UK residential rental property. The survey was sent to more than 5,000 UK landlords through August's customer base, newsletter subscribers and landlord contacts, and by EMPO to its members. Results are unweighted, and some questions have smaller bases where not every respondent answered. Comparisons are with the English Private Landlord Survey 2024.

Full details of the sample, fieldwork, question bases and how the results were analysed are set out in the survey methodology.

The figures may be reused with credit to August, citing "August Landlord Survey 2026. August, October 2026. augustapp.com/landlord-survey-2026".

About August

August is a property management platform built for UK landlords and is HMRC-recognised for Making Tax Digital. It brings rent payments, expenses, compliance, maintenance, documents and tenant management together in one place, with smart reminders and an AI property assistant built in. August is available on web, iOS and Android, and serves everyone from first-time landlords to large portfolio landlords and property managers. August is operated by Augur Technologies Limited. www.augustapp.com

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