Although the number of tenancies in England and Wales continues to grow, the rate of increase has slowed as in the last 12 months to July 2025 the number of tenants’ deposits protected reached just over 82,000 according to the DPS.

This marks the second time in eight years the rental market grew by less than 100,000 tenancies in a year and less than a third of the 270,000 increase in 2017.

The survey found that 52% of landlords are considering selling some or all of their portfolio (up 5% from October 2025), with 25% of these considering fully exiting the market within two years.

Paul Fryers, MD at Zephyr Homeloans, said: “In what is an evolving PRS market, with many amateur landlords considering to exit, it’s a different story for professional landlords. With a continued demand for affordable housing and accessible support from mortgage brokers and lenders, there are still opportunities available for professional landlords to run a successful BTL business for many years to come.”

78% of professional and limited company landlords with three or more properties and are not considering selling their properties in the next one to two years, rising to 80% for those with six or more properties.