- Buy-to-let companies reached 443,272 by the end of 2025.
- New incorporations rose 8 per cent year on year in 2025.
- Most new buy-to-let purchases are now made through limited companies.
The number of buy-to-let companies in the UK has climbed sharply, pointing to a clear shift in how landlords structure their property investments. Data from Hamptons shows that 443,272 companies were registered to hold buy-to-let property by the end of 2025, up nearly five times from 91,278 recorded in 2016.
The pace of new company formation has remained strong. Around 66,587 new companies were set up in 2025 alone, marking an 8 per cent increase from 61,517 in 2024 and a 363 per cent rise over the past decade. Early figures suggest momentum is continuing, with incorporations running 11 per cent higher than the same period a year earlier and 5,922 new buy-to-let limited companies registered in January 2026.
These numbers suggest that while landlord activity remains steady, the way investors hold property is changing quite quickly.
Tax changes reshape landlord strategies
Despite the rise in company formations, investors accounted for a slightly smaller share of overall home purchases. They bought 10.8 per cent of homes in 2025, down from 11.9 per cent the year before, indicating the trend is more about restructuring ownership rather than a surge in buying activity.
According to the analysis, more than three-quarters of new buy-to-let purchases are now made through limited companies. A decade ago, that share was far lower, before changes to mortgage interest tax relief reduced the benefits available to individual landlords.
The growing number of company-owned rental homes could gradually reshape the structure of the private rented sector, with more properties sitting within corporate entities rather than under individual ownership.
Buy-to-let firms are now among the most common types of businesses being registered at Companies House, with only mail order companies recording higher numbers of new registrations.
