‘Young’ landlords keeping the buy-to-let market afloat says Hamptons
There is a big rise in the number of under-50s investing in property companies, injecting much-needed momentum into the property investment stats.
Younger landlords are sweeping the buy-to-let market with a big rise in the number of purchases by under-50s, says Hamptons.
“This signals a generational shift in landlord demographics,” the firm claims.
So far this year, 75% of shareholders in new property investment companies were 50 or younger, up from 68% a decade ago, new Hamptons data reveals.
And millennial landlords, born between 1981 and 1996, will set up 33,395 new buy-to-let companies in 2025, more than twice (+142%) the number in 2020.
What’s striking is the rise of younger landlords. millennials … are now leading the charge in buy-to-let.”
Aneisha Beveridge, Head of Research at Hamptons, says: “What’s striking is the rise of younger landlords. millennials – many of whom have struggled to buy their own home – are now leading the charge in buy-to-let.
“Thirty years on from the invention of the buy-to-let mortgage, which kick-started investment by Baby Boomers, it’s clear that a new generation is finding alternative ways to build wealth through bricks and mortar,” she says.
“Despite the challenges, Millennials and Gen Z are showing a similar appetite for long-term property investment, which is helping to stabilise the market.”
Concentrated
Other findings in the latest Hamptons lettings index include the share of homes bought by a landlord remained unchanged from last year, despite the increase in second home Stamp Duty surcharge.
Investor activity is increasingly concentrated in the North of England, where yields are higher and Stamp Duty costs are lower.
So, 28.4% of homes sold in the North East were bought by a landlord in Q3 2025, compared to 8% in London.
Endangered species
Beveridge adds: “New landlords have increasingly become an endangered species in markets across Southern England, where big stamp duty bills and flatlining prices have nudged investors northwards.
“But in places like the North East, landlord activity remains close to all-time highs, showing that the buy-to-let market is adapting rather than retreating.”
