‘Landlords exiting the market’ has been headline for many months – years even - but there are some new statistics that back up the anecdotal evidence.
It’s reported 562 privately-owned buy-to-let properties are being put up for sale every day. The figure was generated by TwentyEA and features in its latest private rental sector report. The maths means more than 44,000 buy-to-lets were placed on the market in Q3 2026.
Landlords leaving picks up pace
This is an alarming situation but let’s put the figures into context. At the same point in 2025, 495 buy-to-lets were reaching the sales market every day. No surprise given landlords knew what was coming in the Renters’ Rights Act.
For comparison, just 167 buy-to-lets were being sold every day at the start of the decade.
Now for the deeper dive. There is a difference between 562 buy-to-lets being put up for sale every day and landlords who can celebrate exchange of contracts and completion.
Buyer enquires fade away
The leading portals – those who are monitoring the influx of properties for sale – come bearing bad news. In its September House Price Index, Rightmove said the number of buyer enquiries is 9% lower now, when compared to this time last year.
The portal’s granular analysis revealed where you’re selling affects your rate of success. For example, just 56% of homes in the South East find a buyer and that figure drops to 42% in London.
Zoopla’s September House Price Index found the number of sales agreed was 9% down in 2026 compared to 2025. In contrast, the stock of homes for sale increased 5% - no doubt buoyed by the number of landlords exiting the market.
Again, greater analysis shows some landlords are at a distinct disadvantage. Zoopla says the number of homes for sale in London and Southern England has increased 8%, meaning there’s a smaller audience of buyers for a bigger pool of available properties.
Almost 1 in 4 sales falls through
Even when a buyer is found on the open market, there’s no guarantee the transaction will complete. The most recent TwencyCi/TwentyEA Property & Homemover Report found 23.4% of concluded listings had at least one fall through. In brutal terms, each sale has an almost 1 in 4 chance of collapsing before exchange of contracts takes place.
This is why completions are a key metric in today’s sales market. The latest data from HM Revenue & Customs shows UK residential transactions in July 2026 were 2% lower than in June 2026, and 1% lower than July 2025.
Selling a buy-to-let is risky
Since 1st May 2026, testing the waters to see if there’s a sales audience for your buy-to-let took on a new layer of jeopardy, thanks to the new Ground 1A ruling.
As we have previously written about, Ground 1A is in two parts. Firstly, this possession ground can’t be used during the first 12 months of a new tenancy. Secondly, the landlord is banned from reletting the property during the restricted sales period. This is the 12 months after the notice is served.
Effectively, a landlord who decides to sell their property is stuck if they can’t find a buyer. That’s up to a whole year with an empty property that isn’t allowed back into the rental market.
Ground 1A restrictions and the current sales market is boxing many landlords into a corner. They’ve often stopped making a profit or are under stress from tougher compliance rules. Quite often, it’s both.
How to avoid the great unknown
Selling up is now fraught with unknowns and it’s hard to know what to do for the best. Here at LandlordBuyer, we’re offering property investors a third, no risk option.
You can sell with sitting tenants to LandlordBuyer and we’ll make you a guaranteed cash offer. The benefits are numerous and include:
- No waiting for 12 months to use Ground 1A to regain possession
- No need to serve notice and evict for vacant possession
- No trying the open sales market only to find there are no buyers
- No being caught in the ‘no man’s land’ restricted period with no buyer or tenant
- No chain or risk of a fall-through, thanks to a guaranteed buyer stepping in
- No lengthy waits – exchange and complete in as few as 42 days
- No estate agency, legal or EPC fees
- No mortgage required by the buyer, as we’re cash purchasers
You can start with an online cash offer now or contact us to speak about your individual circumstances. We’re a team of friendly humans ready to help.