Data from Hamptons indicates who is replacing those departing landlords. Landlord purchases accounted for 13.3% of Great Britain transactions between January and April 2026, and 23.0% of homes bought by landlords in 2026 had previously been let, up from 16% in 2025 and a five-year average of 9.9% between 2019 and 2023.
The trend was most pronounced in the North East, where 35.8% of buy-to-let purchases involved formerly rented homes, compared with 16.8% in London, indicating that larger, established landlords are increasingly acquiring stock from smaller ones leaving the sector.
Where rents climbed fastest
The North East and North West recorded England’s joint-highest rent inflation at 5.8%, against 3.0% in the South East. London rents rose 3.5% to £2,332 versus £788 in the North East; England overall rose 4.0% to £1,459, Wales 4.3% to £846, Scotland 1.1% to £1,013, and Northern Ireland 1.6% to £874 to June, its slowest pace in nine years.
Detached homes averaged £1,589 against £1,367 for flats, while average rent in Kensington and Chelsea reached £3,690, compared with £558 in Dumfries and Galloway.
House prices tell a different story
England’s price reached £293,000, up 1.1%, down from 1.2% in June; Wales rose 2.6% to £215,000 and Scotland 2.3% to £196,000, both accelerating from 1.6%.