We are going through a period of caution in the buy-to-let market, where lenders are more selective and landlords are no longer expanding by default.<\/p>\n
That is according to Alex Upton, managing director, specialist mortgages & bridging finance, Hampshire Trust Bank.<\/p>\n
Upton said: \u201cWe are starting to see lenders become more selective, and in some cases step back from parts of the market. That matters.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen funding options narrow at the same time as regulatory and cost pressures increase, it creates a more challenging landscape for brokers and landlords to operate within.<\/p>\n
\u201cLandlord behaviour is adjusting accordingly. Expansion is no longer the default. Many are reassessing exposure, refining portfolios and prioritising assets that offer stronger and more reliable income.<\/p>\n
\u201cMore experienced investors are not stepping away, but they are being far more deliberate in how they allocate capital and structure their portfolios.\u201d<\/p>\n
Average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5%, to \u00a31,374, in the 12 months to February 2026, a steady increase in a market with shaky confidence.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Average rents increased to \u00a31,430 (3.6%) in England, \u00a3828 (5.5%) in Wales, and \u00a31,022 (2.4%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to February 2026.<\/p>\n
In Northern Ireland, average rents increased to \u00a3875 (5.2%), in the 12 months to December 2025.<\/p>\n
In England, private rents annual inflation was highest in the North East (7.6%), and lowest in London (1.7%), in the 12 months to February 2026.<\/p>\n
Upton added: \u201cThese conditions are reshaping funding demand. Landlords are not simply refinancing, they are restructuring.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means releasing capital selectively, consolidating borrowing and repositioning portfolios to reflect tighter margins and higher compliance expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt requires lenders who can assess cases on their merits, take a long-term view and structure funding around how portfolios operate in practice.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We are going through a period of caution in the buy-to-let market, where lenders are more selective and landlords are no longer expanding by default. That is according to Alex Upton, managing director, specialist mortgages & bridging finance, Hampshire Trust Bank. Upton said: \u201cWe are starting to see lenders become more selective, and in some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":207,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9784","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-second-home"],"yoast_head":"\n