Landlords are adjusting their operating models to the Renters’ Rights Act rather than retreating from buy-to-let, with brokers reporting continued demand for finance despite increased administration and uncertainty around possession.

Four months after the legislation came into force, research from Paragon Bank suggests that many of the concerns raised before implementation are now being dealt with as day-to-day management issues.

More than six in 10 landlords surveyed in Paragon’s latest Landlord Trends research said they had experienced challenges implementing the Act, with increased administration and uncertainty around new notice requirements among the most commonly cited difficulties.

Concerns over eviction processes also remain, after earlier Paragon research found that more than four in 10 landlords regarded the risk of being left with problematic tenants as the most significant consequence of the removal of Section 21.

However, sentiment appears to have improved since the legislation took effect. Paragon said 69% of landlords now expect the Act to have a negative impact on their own lettings activity, down from 76% before implementation.

BUY-TO-LET ACTIVITY HOLDS UP

Mortgage Advice Bureau has also seen buy-to-let lending continue at scale. Between May and August 2026, it wrote 6,790 buy-to-let mortgages worth more than £1 billion.

Volumes were slightly lower than during the same period in 2025, but the firm said the figures suggested landlords were continuing to refinance and invest rather than withdrawing from the market.

Paragon said it had not changed its buy-to-let underwriting approach in response to the Renters’ Rights Act and had seen little evidence of widespread changes among other lenders.

The lender said continuing demand for rental property remained an important factor because landlords could often re-let properties relatively quickly when vacancies arose. Larger landlords could also spread the effect of void periods across wider portfolios.

As a result, lenders were continuing to concentrate on the overall strength of a landlord’s portfolio, financial position and longer-term strategy rather than individual elements of the legislation.

BROKERS SEE CHANGE IN CLIENT CONVERSATIONS

Rachel Geddes, strategic lender relationship director at Mortgage Advice Bureau, said: “Four months on, the conversations we’re having with landlords have shifted – it’s less ‘what does the Act actually say’ and more ‘what does this mean for how I run things going forward?’.

“Increased administration and the new notice requirements are the practical, day-to-day frustrations landlords are telling us about, but the bigger conversation is usually about the whole portfolio: is the current structure still right, does financing need to work harder, and where does this fit into their plans for the next few years?

“The landlords who are adapting well tend to be the ones who saw this as a moment to review their whole approach, not just react to one piece of legislation. That’s where advice earns its keep, helping landlords step back from the immediate admin and look at the bigger picture.”

That shift is creating a broader advisory role for brokers, particularly around portfolio structure, refinancing and future investment decisions as landlords assess the implications of a more regulated private rented sector.

Paragon said the Act appeared to be accelerating an existing move towards greater professionalisation among landlords, following years of regulatory and tax changes as well as higher expectations from tenants.

Geddes added: “A more regulated market, steady lender appetite, and strong tenant demand all point to buy-to-let remaining a sound long-term investment. That said, landlords now need to make more decisions, more carefully, than they did a few years ago. It’s exactly why advice matters more now, not less.

“The landlords who come through periods of change like this in the strongest position are usually the ones who’ve had someone helping them think a few steps ahead, rather than just reacting to each change as it lands. That’s the role we as brokers want to play for every landlord we work with, whatever stage of their journey they’re at.”