Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Team from a report by Property118. Read the original article for full details.
Company Landlords Six Times as Likely to Buy as Personal-Name Landlords
Landlords who own through a limited company are six times as likely as those who own in their own name to be planning to buy more, according to Property118's Q3 2026 Landlord Sentiment Survey. Of company landlords, 18.3% plan to buy over the next three years (base 240), against 2.9% of personal-name landlords (base 941).
The survey ran from 1 to 8 October 2026. A total of 1,654 landlords took part, and 1,472 completed every page. Most respondents still own in their own name: 60.7% hold their portfolio personally, 15.5% through a company and 13.9% through a mix of both (base 1,551).
Exit plans reverse the picture
Personal-name landlords are far more likely to plan to leave the sector altogether. Some 30.2% of personal-name landlords plan to exit completely, against 17.9% of company landlords. Mixed owners are the least likely of all to plan a full exit (10.2%), although half of them (50.0%) plan to sell some properties.
Landlords with a mix of personal and company ownership sat in between on buying intentions at 13.0% (base 216), with partnerships close to personal owners at 4.9% (base 103).
Not a one-off
In Q2, when the same questions were asked, 20.5% of company landlords planned to buy (base 312) against 5.5% of personal-name landlords (base 1,295) — a gap of nearly four to one. Exit plans were 17.3% and 33.2% respectively. Personal-name buying intentions dipped slightly between Q2 and Q3 (from 5.5% to 2.9%), though Property118 notes that changes of this size between quarters may reflect who answered rather than a real shift.
Age and portfolio size do not explain the gap
Company landlords are younger on average: 29.5% are under 55 (base 227), against 13.4% of personal-name landlords (base 886). They also own more property: the typical (median) company landlord has 11 properties (base 239), against four for a personal-name landlord (base 927).
Comparing landlords of the same age, the gap persists. Under 55: 34.8% of company landlords plan to buy (base 66), against 6.7% of personal-name landlords (base 119). At 55 to 64: 13.2% (base 76) against 2.2% (base 322). At 65 to 74: 11.9% (base 59) against 1.3% (base 312).
The same holds for landlords with similar portfolios. Among those with four to ten properties, 16.9% of company landlords plan to buy (base 83) against 3.0% of personal-name landlords (base 363). With 11 or more properties, the figures are 21.0% (base 124) and 4.4% (base 113). When age, portfolio size and whether landlords have mortgages were allowed for at once, company landlords still had around five times the odds of planning to buy.
Source: Property118