Landlords have become markedly less confident about buy-to-let finance, with more than four in five describing the market as unstable or unpredictable in new Landbay research.
The lender’s latest landlord survey found 55.6 percent of respondents saw the market as somewhat unpredictable and 26.3 percent called it highly volatile. Almost half said they now felt less confident about accessing finance, while more than a third had already reduced activity and a further 21.8 percent had delayed plans.
For landlords, that matters because the lending market has shifted from a simple price hunt to a search for certainty. In a post-Renters’ Rights Act market, investors still looking to refinance or expand appear more focused on product stability, communication and deal availability than on chasing the absolute lowest rate.
Confidence drops even as borrowing activity holds up
Landbay said 49.6 percent of landlords felt less confident about their ability to access buy-to-let finance, even though activity in the market has not collapsed. Its survey found 25.6 percent had completed a buy-to-let mortgage in the past month, while 24.1 percent were progressing a case.
That leaves the market in a more awkward position than the headline lending figures might suggest. Landlords are still borrowing, but many appear to be doing so more cautiously and with less conviction than earlier in the year.
Rob Stanton, sales and distribution director at Landbay, said landlords remained active but were placing far greater value on certainty, consistency and communication from lenders and advisers.
Landlords want stability as much as headline rates
The survey suggests a clear change in priorities. While 66.2 percent still said competitive rates mattered most, 44.4 percent said they wanted certainty once a mortgage offer had been issued. Another 36.1 percent pointed to pricing stability during the application process, while 34.6 percent wanted more consistent product availability.
That helps explain why advisers remain central to the process. More than 82 percent of respondents used a broker from the outset when arranging their latest mortgage, and almost one in 10 said they first tried to arrange finance alone before seeking professional help.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on portfolio landlords driving a fresh remortgage push, which highlighted how refinancing pressures were already shaping landlord behaviour. The latest Landbay findings suggest that demand has not disappeared, but confidence in how smoothly deals can be secured has weakened.
That caution also sits alongside recent lender repricing. Landlords tracking the market have already seen fresh buy-to-let rate cuts from specialist lenders, but the survey suggests lower pricing alone is not enough to restore confidence.
Landbay has published its latest landlord survey report, which sets out where landlords see the biggest pressure points in refinancing, product choice and lender reliability.
Why this matters for landlord plans in summer 2026
The timing is important. Landlords heading into summer are now making finance decisions after the first month of the new rental rulebook in England, with affordability, documentation and portfolio resilience under closer scrutiny. In that environment, sudden repricing or pulled products can derail deals faster than they did in a quieter market.
A practical reading of the survey is that lenders able to keep products available and cases moving may now have a stronger edge than those competing only on headline pricing. For landlords, the trade-off may increasingly be between the cheapest rate on paper and the product most likely to stay in place long enough to complete.
What this means for landlords
- If you are refinancing this summer: leave more time than usual and expect product choice to move quickly.
- If you rely on thin margins: stress-test deals against rate changes and delayed completions, not just the opening quote.
- Watch for: lenders that keep products available and communicate clearly during applications.
- If you usually go direct: this is one area where broker support may reduce the risk of having to switch products mid-process.
- Bottom line: landlords are still borrowing, but certainty now carries more weight than it did a few months ago.
Editor’s view
This is a more revealing signal than another routine rate-change headline. Landlords can handle higher costs if the ground stays still, but uncertainty over product availability and lending decisions is harder to price in.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 29 May 2026
Sources: Landbay landlord survey report
Related reading: Portfolio landlords drive buy-to-let remortgage push
