Specialist lenders expect the buy-to-let sector to remain resilient despite regulatory changes, although attracting younger property investors could prove increasingly difficult.
Speakers at the Brightstar Specialist Lending Expo 2026 argued that demand for privately rented accommodation would continue to support the market, even as the Renters’ Rights Act adds to the obligations facing landlords.
Steve Cox, chief commercial officer at Fleet Mortgages, said regulation was accelerating the shift towards a more professional landlord sector but questioned whether legislative changes could fundamentally undermine private renting.
He said: “You cannot destroy the private rental sector. You cannot do it. It’s a fundamental part of our housing fabric.”
Cox also highlighted the counter-cyclical nature of rental demand, suggesting that economic difficulties and constraints on mortgage affordability tended to increase the number of people seeking rented accommodation.
Joshua Elash, chief executive of MT Finance Group, reported that buy-to-let had performed comparatively strongly for the lender during 2026, despite weaker activity in some other property finance markets.
He said: “Buy-to-let has actually been one of the best performers for us as an institution this year.”
Elash suggested that concerns about the consequences of rental legislation were not necessarily reflected in lenders’ experience of the market, describing buy-to-let as one of the stronger areas of activity this year.
CHANGING LANDLORD DEMOGRAPHICS
Emily Hollands, head of intermediary sales and distribution at OSB Group, said the sector was likely to adapt to the latest regulatory changes, as it had done during previous periods of upheaval.
She also raised the possibility that younger investors could approach property ownership differently from previous generations, potentially treating buy-to-let as an investment before purchasing a home for their own occupation.
Hollands said: “I think the buy-to-let market will continue. I think it will change over the next three to five years.”
However, panellists acknowledged that deposit requirements remained a substantial obstacle for prospective younger landlords, particularly those carrying student debt or attempting to finance their own housing.
Rob Jupp, chief executive of Brightstar Group, suggested parental financial assistance could help some younger investors enter the market.
Cox also identified inheritance as a potential source of future landlord activity, with investment properties and limited company ownership structures passing between generations.
Nevertheless, he cautioned that lenders were unlikely to address the deposit problem by substantially increasing loan-to-value limits, given the prevailing risk environment.
The discussion took place at the London Stadium on 7 October.
