The number of landlord companies incorporated annually in Britain has risen by more than 1,700% since 2000, according to an analysis of Companies House records.
Research by specialist insurer Just Landlords found that 34,128 landlord businesses were registered in 2025, compared with 1,882 in 2000.
Nearly 14,000 more were incorporated during the first five months of 2026, the company said.
The figures point to a growing use of corporate structures in the private rented sector. A total of 23,998 landlord companies were registered between 2000 and 2009, at an annual average of about 2,400.
This rose to 77,097 during the following decade, averaging 7,710 a year. Between 2020 and 2025, 141,292 companies were incorporated, equivalent to an annual average of 23,549 and more than the total registered during the previous 20 years.
PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT
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.”
The insurer said recent growth may have been encouraged by changes to mortgage interest tax relief, higher stamp duty charges on additional properties, new regulatory requirements and a greater emphasis on long-term portfolio management.
The introduction of the 3% stamp duty surcharge on additional properties in April 2016 was followed by a rise of nearly 59% in company registrations over the next two years.
REGIONAL MARKETS GAIN GROUND
London remains the largest market, accounting for nearly a third of landlord company registrations since 2000, although its share of annual incorporations has declined as activity elsewhere has increased.
Scotland recorded the fastest growth between 2020 and 2025, with annual registrations rising by 171%. It now has more than 2,100 new landlord companies a year, compared with fewer than 400 in 2015.
Annual registrations increased by 148% in Northern Ireland and 144% in Wales over the same five-year period.
Among the English regions, the West Midlands recorded growth of 108%, followed by the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber, both at 106%. London recorded an increase of 104%, while growth was 99% in the East Midlands, 92% in the East of England, 79% in the North East, 75% in the South East and 70% in the South West. The figure for England as a whole was 95.3%.
“Growth is no longer concentrated in London alone.”
Ross said: “What’s particularly interesting is that growth is no longer concentrated in London alone. Some of the strongest increases have been seen across Scotland, the Midlands and the North of England, suggesting that professional landlord businesses are becoming an increasingly important part of regional housing markets across the UK.
“There are a number of factors that may be driving this shift. London’s property values have long made it the dominant market, but the comparatively lower entry costs in regional cities mean landlords can build a more diversified portfolio for the same initial outlay, and potentially see stronger yields in the process. Rising house prices in the South have also pushed more renters into regional markets, increasing demand and making those areas more attractive to professional investors.”
INVESTING FOR THE LONG TERM
And he added: “At the same time, improved transport links and the lasting legacy of flexible working patterns since the pandemic have made regional cities more appealing places to live, which in turn has strengthened the rental market in those areas.
“In Scotland and Wales, we’ve also seen significant legislative change in recent years, which may have encouraged landlords to formalise their structures to ensure they’re operating compliantly within those frameworks.
“For landlords looking to professionalise their operations, risk management, compliance and specialist insurance become even more important. Professional landlords are investing for the long term, and protecting those investments has never been more important.”
