The so-called landlord exodus may still be on the horizon as deep industry dissatisfaction about the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill remains, a snap poll of over 400 landlords reveals.

The study, carried out by Goodlord, found that despite three in four landlords saying they are not currently considering selling any or all of their portfolio, a significant number of landlords – one in four – say they are. These findings indicate that the so-called landlord exodus may still be on the horizon as deep industry dissatisfaction about the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill remains.

More than 500 letting agents were polled at the same time, with a huge majority – 67% – believing that landlords in their portfolios are currently considering selling. This highlights the intense concerns felt by agents that the landlord exodus is set to grow, despite the majority of landlords currently holding the line.

When asked whether they were currently actively considering selling some or all of their lettings portfolio, the vast majority – 74% – of landlords said no. However, a small but significant proportion – 26% – said they were.

This represents a shift since autumn 2024, when the Goodlord and Vouch State of the Lettings Industry report surveyed a separate group of 300 landlords. That analysis, carried out between July and September 2024, found that around a third of landlords (30%) said they had either already sold one of their rental properties or put one on the market in the past year, with a further 17% saying they were considering reducing their portfolio in the coming year.

The latest findings represent an increase in the number of landlords considering whether to sell – up from 17% to 26%.

Fears around a landlord exodus are being felt even more acutely by agents, whose sentiments paint a more pessimistic picture than landlords’. During the same snap poll, over 500 letting agents were asked if landlords in their portfolios were taking active steps to reduce their lettings stock or leave the market altogether.

Despite only 26% of landlords saying they were exploring selling up, a huge 67% of letting agents said they were seeing landlords gear up to leave the market, with just 33% of letting agents saying that none of their landlord clients were considering selling.

The belief amongst agents that a large section of landlords could still be poised to sell – despite the majority of landlords claiming the contrary – highlights the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of the PRS and the shifting sentiments of landlords in the face of major legislative changes.

The polls were conducted during a live webinar on the Renters’ Right Bill, hosted by Goodlord’s Oli Sherlock and legal expert David Smith. Over 1,200 landlords and agents joined the webinar to discuss key concerns and questions about the legislation, which is set to pass into law in the coming months.

Oli Sherlock, Goodlord’s director of insurance, said: “It was clear from the huge attendance at the webinar (and the many questions asked) that both agents and landlords feel far from prepared for the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill. There are still so many areas of confusion and concern. This is one of the primary reasons that a large chunk of landlords are exploring exiting the market. Anecdotally, it seems that those looking to leave are ‘accidental’ landlords or those with smaller portfolios. This could see us end up with a sector characterised by fewer, bigger players.

“However, despite agents feeling that the majority of their landlords are taking steps to sell up, 3 in 4 landlords say they aren’t. This points to a very interesting reality for the sector; one characterised by unsettled sentiment, shifting priorities, and an ongoing feeling of uncertainty for all stakeholders.”