Portfolio landlords need certainty in an uncertain world 

Portfolio landlords are being asked to run resilient, professional property businesses in a market that refuses to sit still. Tax policy, regulation, interest rates and operating costs all keep moving. In that environment, access to the right finance isn’t just helpful, it’s fundamental to staying competitive.

We continually hear from brokers that landlords need flexibility with access to finance that can keep up with acquisitions, refinancing and refurbishments, and changing portfolio strategies. They also need certainty with finance providers giving clear, dependable funding outcomes.

Incorporation is becoming the norm

One of the biggest structural trends in the market is the continuing move towards limited company ownership.

Research from Pegasus Insight points to a significant rise in incorporation as landlords respond to a changing tax and regulatory landscape. The data shows 22% of landlords now own at least one rental property within a limited company. Among portfolio landlords, one in three uses a mixed-status model, and for those with a limited company structure, around 70% of their portfolio sits within the company. Most notably, the average number of properties held in a limited company structure has increased from 6.3 (Q1 2020) to 10.5 (Q3 2025). 

The Hamptons Buy-to-Let Report: Summer 2025 reinforces the scale of that shift. It highlights that there are now over 415,000 buy-to-let limited companies, and that number has more than trebled since 2016 with smaller landlords increasingly joining those who historically led the way on incorporation. It also notes that half of all limited companies own a single property, underlining how widespread the move has become beyond the largest operators.

For lenders supporting portfolio landlords today means being fluent in limited company structures, mixed portfolios, and, as we see more and more often, more complex borrowing scenarios and being able to deliver solutions at speed.

What portfolio landlords need from banks now

In a more uncertain world, “support” doesn’t just mean competitive pricing.

It includes being comfortable with limited company borrowing, mixed-structure portfolios, and the operational realities of landlord businesses, including the need to refinance, restructure, or capitalise on time-sensitive opportunities.

Landlords want clarity earlier than ever on whether a deal works, what conditions apply, and what the longer-term plan looks like. This is especially important when bridging is used as part of a wider strategy and not as a last resort.

Speed matters most when deadlines are immovable, such as auction timeframes, purchase completions, refinance windows, or capital expenditure requirements. Getting the right answer quickly is often the difference between a good deal and a missed one.

We see the difference structured certainty can make, especially when landlords need to act quickly but also want confidence in their longer-term funding position.

A recent example is a £1.825m bridge-to-term facility we completed for an experienced London landlord requiring capital for a property acquisition. Subject to credit assessment and property valuation, the funding completed at 70% LTV, structured as a 12-month bridging facility with the term buy-to-let solution considered from the outset, providing a clear, dependable route from acquisition finance into longer-term borrowing. 

Indicating intent on the term solution alongside the bridging facility enabled us to give the borrower greater certainty and confidence and it’s exactly that combination that portfolio landlords are increasingly looking for in today’s market. 

This approach reflects a wider point, as bridging doesn’t have to mean uncertainty. Used correctly, it can be part of a planned financing strategy, especially when a lender can structure the journey from short-term speed to longer-term stability.

The direction of travel appears to be clear

Portfolio landlords are evolving. Their structures are changing, their cost base is rising, their strategies are becoming more sophisticated and their need for reliable, flexible funding has never been greater.

Traditional models of lending don’t always move quickly enough for that reality, which is why specialist lenders are increasingly stepping into the gap. We were founded to provide lending and savings solutions built around real-world business needs, and that focus is as relevant for professional landlords as it is for the SMEs that power the wider economy. 

If portfolio landlords are to continue investing in good-quality rented homes and adapting to whatever the market throws next, finance must adapt at the same pace they do.