- Landlords spend an average 31 hours a month managing properties.
- Workload rises sharply for larger portfolios.
- Around a quarter of rental income goes on running costs.
Letting property may be seen as a passive income stream, but new research suggests the reality looks very different for many landlords managing rental properties. A fresh report on landlord workload shows owners are spending significant time each month keeping portfolios running.
According to Pegasus Insight’s latest Landlord Trends report, landlords spend an average of 31 hours a month managing rental homes, the equivalent of almost four working days. The firm describes this as ‘sweat equity’, highlighting the level of hands-on effort involved in property management.
For landlords with 11 or more properties, the time commitment rises sharply to around 78 hours a month, or close to 10 working days, suggesting larger portfolios come with far heavier operational demands.
Mark Long, founder and managing director of Pegasus Insight, reportedly said in a news report: “There is often a perception that letting property is a relatively passive activity, that landlords just sit back and let the cash roll in. But the data tells a different story.”
He added that for many landlords, particularly those operating at scale, managing a portfolio represents a significant monthly time commitment as regulatory and compliance requirements continue to grow.
Costs and complexity continue to climb
The report also suggests that using a letting agent does not necessarily reduce the time landlords spend overseeing their properties. Around 57 per cent of properties use some form of letting agent service, yet overall time commitments remain broadly similar whether tasks are outsourced or not.
Compliance checks, maintenance oversight and financial administration still largely fall to property owners, with the highest time input seen among leveraged investors, HMO operators and landlords with larger portfolios.
Landlords estimate that roughly 23 per cent to 24 per cent of gross rental income is spent on running and maintenance costs, reflecting the ongoing financial pressures tied to property ownership.
Mr Long reportedly said larger landlords, those with mortgages and operators of HMOs naturally face greater complexity, which is reflected in the hours they invest. He added that rising time demands alongside cost pressures point to a private rented sector that is becoming increasingly professionalised.
He further noted that successful landlords are committing both capital and active management effort to maintain the performance of their investments, as quoted in a news report.
