One in five describe themselves as full-time or self-employed

Landlords are increasingly managing larger portfolios, becoming more professionalised and adopting more sophisticated ownership structures, according to the latest Landlord Trends research from Pegasus Insight.

Its research shows that the average landlord portfolio has increased to 7.3 properties and that 21% of landlords now describe themselves as full-time or self-employed landlords. The figure is up from 17% at the end of 2025.

Average size of portfolio grows

The average portfolio for limited company landlords is now 15.3 properties, up from 12.8 in Q4 2025. Around two-thirds (66%) of their holdings are now owned through a corporate structure.

Refinancing is high on the agenda for many, with nearly four in ten landlords with borrowing in place expecting to remortgage in the next year. That rises to 56% of those with four or more buy-to-let mortgages. Portfolio borrowers are almost twice as likely as smaller landlords to be active in the refinancing market.

The changing landlord image

Mark Long, founder and managing director of Pegasus Insight, said: “The PRS is becoming increasingly professional and sophisticated. The image of the landlord with one or two properties operating on the side of another career no longer tells the full story.

“The PRS is undergoing a gradual but important structural shift. We are seeing fewer landlords treating property as a sideline investment and more operating as professional businesses with larger, more sophisticated portfolios.”