'Experienced investors are approaching opportunities differently': HTB comments on ONS Private Rent and House Price data

20 May 2026

Alex Upton, Managing Director, Specialist Mortgages & Bridging Finance, Hampshire Trust Bank, said:

“Landlord strategy is continuing to change. We’re having far fewer conversations about expansion for the sake of growth, particularly as the Renters’ Rights Act starts feeding into longer-term investment decisions. Investors are looking much more closely at which properties still work financially, where income is more resilient and how portfolios need to evolve over the next few years.

“At the smaller end of the market, some landlords are choosing to reduce exposure where higher borrowing costs and tighter regulation have changed the economics of certain properties. More experienced investors are still active, but they are approaching opportunities differently. We’re seeing more interest in HMOs, mixed-use assets and properties where there is genuine scope to strengthen income over time, rather than simply adding units wherever possible.

“That shift is also changing the type of funding brokers are looking for. More cases now involve capital raising, restructuring existing borrowing or repositioning portfolios around a longer-term plan. Lenders need to understand how those portfolios operate in practice, not just how they fit inside a standard set of criteria.

“What brokers and landlords need now is consistency. Where funding remains accessible and lenders continue to engage with more complex cases, confidence stays in the market and investment activity continues. That matters, because over time, confidence and availability play a major role in shaping the overall direction of the rental market.”