The number has risen 1,700% since 2000
The landlord sector is professionalising at pace, with new company registrations up 1,700% since 2000 and nearly 14,000 new companies registered in the first five months of 2026 alone, according to new analysis of Companies House data by Just Landlords.
Its research showed that the 2020s has already produced more new landlord businesses than the entire period from 2000-2019 combined. New landlord registrations between 2000-2009 totalled 23,998 (an average 2,400 per year). This rose to 77,097 (an average of 7,710 per year) for 2010-2019 but has doubled to 141,292 (an average of 23,549 per year) for 2020-2025. The 14,000 registrations in the first five months of 2026 alone compared to only 1,882 in 2000.
Clark Ross, managing director of Just Landlords, said: “The scale of this shift is remarkable. We’re seeing clear evidence of the continued professionalisation of the private rented sector, with a growing number of landlords now operating through formal business structures.”
Various factors have contributed to the trend of incorporation, including changes to mortgage interest tax relief, higher stamp duty costs for additional properties, evolving regulatory requirements and a growing focus on long-term portfolio management.
The introduction of the 3% stamp duty surcharge on additional properties in April 2016 triggered an immediate surge in incorporations, with registrations jumping by nearly 59% in the following two years.
Regional growth
London accounts for nearly a third of all registrations since 2000, but its share of annual registrations has been declining more recently.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s annual registrations have more than tripled since 2020 (+171%), while Northern Ireland (+148%) and Wales (+144%) have also seen big increases.
