The boom in buy-to-let companies continued last year, with only mail order firms proving more popular.
New figures from Hamptons show that by the end of 2025, there were 443,272 active UK buy-to-let companies registered at Companies House. This was nearly five times the 91,278 recorded in 2016.
And the numbers have continued to rise this year, with new incorporations running 11% above the same month last year.
Smaller share
This rise comes despite investors accounting for a smaller share of home purchases, as investors bought 10.8% of homes in 2025, down from 11.9% the year before.
Hamptons’ analysis shows that 66,587 new companies were formed to hold buy-to-let property in 2025.
This represents an 8% increase on 2024’s total of 61,517, and a 363% rise over the last decade.
Carried into 2026
This momentum has carried into 2026, with 5,922 new buy-to-let limited companies set up in January 2026.
More than three-quarters of new buy-to-let purchases are now made through limited companies.
Today, limited company ownership makes financial sense for the majority of landlords.”
Aneisha Beveridge, Head of Research at Hamptons, says: “Landlord’s shift towards limited company ownership continued through 2025, and shows little sign of slowing this year.
“As more landlords find themselves pulled into the 40% income tax bracket, paying corporation tax at 19% or even 25% has become increasingly attractive,” she says.
“Today, limited company ownership makes financial sense for the majority of landlords, with around 75%-80% of all new buy-to-let purchases now made via a company.”
Landlord ‘companies’ now most common type of firm in UK
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