The number of buy-to-let mortgages taken out between June and September last year rose by 32%, according to new figures from UK Finance.
The data, which shows 59,467 loans taken out in three months – 40,697 of which were for remortgages – casts doubt on reports suggesting the buy-to-let market is disappearing.
The total number of loans even increased to 32% between June and September (Q3) 2025 compared to the same data in the previous year. The majority of these concerned remortgages, but new purchases also increased by 4%.
According to real estate agents who spoke to the Newspage agency, this data contradicts the narrative of the “mass exodus” of landowners leaving the sector.
Omer Mehmet, director of Trinity Financetold Newspage: “If landlords were truly leaving the sector, we wouldn’t see this level of activity in terms of refinancing and new lending. What the data shows is engagement: landlords reviewing their finances, making adjustments and staying invested. That’s a sign of engagement, not exit.
“Buy-to-let has become more complex, so the approach has changed. Decisions are more measured, structures are more deliberate and growth is more selective. But real estate is still used as a long-term asset, not something to be depreciated.”
“The story of a sudden collapse does not match what is actually happening in the market.”
And Nouran Moustafa, mortgage advisor at Roxton wealththought the story of the exodus of the landlords was only half true.
She told Newspage: “Smaller, less experienced landlords are selling their homes, mainly due to concerns about Section 21, regulation and the increasing complexity of running buy-to-let portfolios.
“At the same time, experienced landlords are doing the opposite: restructuring, remortgaging, raising capital and expanding. That’s a big reason refinancing is on the rise; many are raising money to buy properties coming onto the market from departing landlords, not just to change rates.
“We’re not really seeing brand new landlords coming in. The ‘landlord exodus’ narrative is only half true. Smaller landlords are leaving, while larger, more professional landlords are consolidating and growing. In reality, it’s not an exodus, it’s a consolidation.”