{"id":29816,"date":"2026-08-05T11:50:56","date_gmt":"2026-08-05T10:50:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.propertysurveying.co.uk\/newsletter\/?page_id=29816"},"modified":"2026-08-05T11:50:56","modified_gmt":"2026-08-05T10:50:56","slug":"20-of-new-uk-buy-to-let-businesses-involve-foreign-landlords","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.propertysurveying.co.uk\/newsletter\/?page_id=29816","title":{"rendered":"20% of New UK Buy-to-Let Businesses Involve Foreign Landlords"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\"blocks<\/strong><\/p>\n

20% of New UK Buy-to-Let Businesses involve Foreign Landlords.<\/strong><\/p>\n

By the end of 2025 there were 443,272 registered buy-to-let companies in the UK holding more than 755,000 property titles in England and Wales.<\/p>\n

Of these companies, a record 66,587 were formed in 2025 alone, a rise of 8% on 2024 and 363% more than in 2015.<\/p>\n

Given that 20% of the new buy-to-let companies formed in the first half of 2025 had at least one non-UK national shareholder, it is expected that around 13,500 of the anticipated total 67,000 companies will be owned \u2013 in part, at least \u2013 by non-UK nationals.\u00a0 Of these, only 20% live abroad. The 80% majority of purchases by non-UK nationals therefore reflect domestic demand from settled migrants rather than purely overseas capital entering the housing market.<\/p>\n

Why the growth in Limited Company Buy-to-Let?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tax is primarily behind this rapid growth. The Conservative government removed full mortgage interest relief for individual landlords and replaced it with a basic rate tax credit.\u00a0 Limited company ownership became significantly more tax-efficient \u2014 attracting both domestic and international investors who can deduct mortgage interest as a business expense inside a company structure.<\/p>\n

Limited Impact on demand of 2024 Stamp Duty Surcharge<\/strong><\/p>\n

Late in 2024, the UK raised the stamp duty surcharge on additional residential properties from 3% to 5%, partly to dampen demand from all buy-to-let investors, including foreign ones.<\/p>\n

For corporate purchasers buying homes costing over \u00a3500,000, the higher rate was raised from 15% to 17%. These measures have so far not reversed the trend of increasing foreign participation in the limited company market.<\/p>\n

It is noticeable from the figures below that Brexit has had a significant impact on the number of Europeans owning UK buy-to-let property.\u00a0 In 2016, the top ranks were held by Irish, Chinese, Indian and Western European nationalities.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Top 10 Nationalities of Foreign Buy-to-Let Company Owners (2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Indian nationals \u2014 684 new buy-to-let companies in H1 2025, making Indians the largest group of non-UK shareholders for the third consecutive year since 2023. Hillingdon had more new companies registered by Indian nationals than any other local authority in the country.<\/li>\n
  2. Nigerian nationals \u2014 647 new buy-to-let companies in H1 2025. Africans first entered the top 10 in 2020 and Nigerians have ranked second among non-UK shareholders every year since 2023, reflecting significant growth in West African investment in UK rental property.<\/li>\n
  3. Polish nationals \u2014 473 new buy-to-let companies in H1 2025. Polish nationals now represent a larger share of new shareholders than they did in 2016, bucking the overall trend of declining EU participation.<\/li>\n
  4. Irish nationals \u2014 consistently ranked fourth in 2025, one of the few remaining English-speaking nationalities in the top five. In 2016, Irish, Americans, South Africans, and Australians all featured in the top 10; by 2025, only Irish nationals remained.<\/li>\n
  5. Romanian nationals \u2014 208 new buy-to-let companies in H1 2025, also representing a larger share than in 2016 and bucking the general retreat of EU nationals.<\/li>\n
  6. Italian nationals \u2014 consistently feature in the top rankings alongside Polish and Irish nationals according to Hamptons’ data, with significant concentrations in London.<\/li>\n
  7. Pakistani nationals \u2014 Pakistani shareholders made the top 10 of non-UK shareholders in 2025, reflecting growing South Asian participation in the limited company buy-to-let market.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    8\u201310. The remaining top 10 positions are occupied by a mix of other nationalities. The overall composition has shifted markedly since 2016: EU nationals fell from 65% to 49% of all non-UK shareholders, with South Asian and African investors taking an increasingly prominent role. Among EU nationals, Eastern Europeans have grown while Western Europeans have contracted.\u00a0 London estate agents have also seen a noticeable increase in Turkish buyers.<\/p>\n

    Statistics above are largely drawn from \u2018Statistics Today\u2019 produced by Hamptons Estate Agents<\/em><\/p>\n

    Top Foreign Nationalities by Total Property Ownership (All Types, 2024)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Data for the following covers all property (not just buy-to-let) and comes from Land Registry titles held by individuals with overseas correspondence addresses.<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Hong Kong \u2014 25,972 properties (13.7% of all foreign-owned property in England and Wales), the largest single group. Numbers grew 5.7% year-on-year, driven by the BNO visa scheme introduced in 2021.<\/li>\n
    2. Singapore \u2014 15,635 properties (8.2%)<\/li>\n
    3. United States \u2014 12,405 properties (6.5%), up 5.5% year-on-year<\/li>\n
    4. UAE \u2014 5.8% of all foreign-owned properties<\/li>\n
    5. China \u2014 5.2%, up 12.9% year-on-year \u2014 the largest annual increase of any nation in the top 20, overtaking Malaysia for the first time<\/li>\n
    6. Malaysia \u2014 5.1%<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      7\u201310. India, France, Australia, and Canada<\/p>\n

      Key Trends and Context<\/strong><\/p>\n

      1 Inevitably, perhaps, non-UK nationals account for the largest share (27% in 2025) of buy-to-let company founders in London.\u00a0 Over half of new companies in Kensington and Chelsea (54%) and Hammersmith and Fulham (51%) were owned by non-UK nationals.<\/p>\n

      2\u00a0 The most dramatic growth is happening outside London. Between 2016 and 2025, foreign ownership has more than doubled in the East Midlands, West Midlands, and Scotland.<\/p>\n

      3 Runnymede in Surrey now has the highest share of new companies owned by non-UK nationals at 59%, according to Hamptons.<\/p>\n

       <\/p>\n

      \u00a9www.PropertySurveying.co.uk<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      \u00a0 20% of New UK Buy-to-Let Businesses involve Foreign Landlords. By the end of 2025 there were 443,272 registered buy-to-let companies in the UK holding more than 755,000 property titles in England and Wales. 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