Millennial landlords make up record 50% of new BTL Ltd shareholders: Hamptons – Mortgage Strategy
Millennial landlords make up a record 50 per cent of new buy-to-let (BTL) company shareholders so far this year, the Hamptons Monthly Rental Index shows.
Hamptons said it expects 33,395 new BTL companies to be established by 2025, more than double (142%) the number established in 2020.
So far this year, 75% of shareholders in new companies are under the age of 50, up 68% from a decade ago.
Elsewhere, it shows investor activity is increasingly concentrated in the north of England, where yields are higher and stamp duty costs are lower.
The report found that 28.4% of homes sold in the North East were purchased by landlords in the third quarter of 2025, compared with 8.0% in London.
Additionally, the proportion of homes purchased by landlords remained unchanged from last year, despite an increase in stamp duty surcharges on second homes.
The latest data shows that nationwide, the proportion of home purchases by landlords in the third quarter of 2025 was 11.3%, a slight increase from 11.2% in the third quarter of 2024.
However, it found these purchases were increasingly concentrated outside the south of England.
London, the South East, South West and East of England accounted for just 34% of investor buying in England and Wales in the third quarter of 2025. As of 2016, these regions accounted for 50% of purchases.
Meanwhile, average rents for new rental properties in the UK fell by 0.3% in the year to September 2025, falling by £4 per month.
Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, said: “Landlord buying behavior has not collapsed in the face of higher taxes and tighter regulation, but things have changed.”
“New landlords are increasingly becoming an endangered species in markets across the south of England, with huge stamp duties and flat prices driving investors north. But in places like the North East, landlord activity remains close to record highs, suggesting the buy-to-let market is adapting rather than retreating.”
“What’s striking is the rise of younger landlords. Millennials – many of whom have struggled to buy their own homes – are now leading the way in buy-to-let. Thirty years after the invention of buy-to-let mortgages, which drove investment among baby boomers, it’s clear that the new generation is looking for alternative ways to build wealth through bricks and mortar.”
“Despite the challenges, Millennials and Gen Z are showing similar interest in long-term real estate investments, which is helping to stabilize the market.”
“Rent growth remained negative in September, with tenants finding they have more room to negotiate than they have in the past five years.”
“While falling rents are always welcome news for tenants, landlords still face too many cost pressures for a nominal fall in rents to translate into a more meaningful adjustment in the coming months.”
