Letting agents are now involved in 66 percent of private rented homes in England and Wales, the highest share recorded in at least two years, according to new NRLA-backed polling.
The newly released figures sharpen a post-Renters’ Rights Act shift that has been building for months. More landlords are handing over management, compliance and repairs oversight as the rulebook gets harder to run alone, while ministers are still only promising a future consultation on agent qualifications.
That leaves landlords with a more immediate business question than the headline alone suggests. If more of the sector is relying on agents, the quality of agency advice, repairs handling and compliance knowledge matters more right now because the legal risk still sits with the landlord.
NRLA says landlords are leaning harder on agents
The pressure on agency standards has already been rising since ministers reopened the debate on property-agent regulation. Fresh NRLA research based on Pegasus Insight polling now puts a number on that shift, saying agents are involved in some way in 66 percent of private rented homes across England and Wales.
The association said the increase reflects landlords looking for help as rental rules become more complex. It also used the figures to press ministers to move faster on minimum education and training requirements for agency staff rather than leaving reforms to another consultation next year.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the NRLA, said landlords remain responsible for making sure rented homes meet legal standards even when an agent is appointed. He said greater reliance on agents should be matched by reforms that give landlords and tenants more confidence in the service they receive.
Repairs satisfaction gap raises the stakes
The most telling detail in the NRLA release is not only the 66 percent headline. It also cites English Housing Survey data showing 59 percent of renters whose properties are fully managed by an agent are satisfied with repairs, compared with 73.5 percent where the landlord is responsible for repairs directly.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s recent coverage of ministers weighing tougher checks and new rules for property agents. It also sits alongside the site’s report on how post-RRA risk checks are changing landlord behaviour. Taken together, the latest figures point to a market where more owners are outsourcing, but not necessarily reducing their exposure if service standards lag behind the compliance burden.
Timing is the real hook for landlords. The market is still absorbing the operational changes brought in on 1 May, from notice handling to complaints and documentation. Appointing an agent is no longer just a convenience decision. It is a judgement on whether that firm can protect income, keep evidence trails clean and avoid preventable compliance mistakes.
Self-managing landlords can read the same data another way. More competitors may be moving to managed or part-managed models, but that does not make full management the automatic answer. The case for using an agent depends on training, supervision, repair systems and who is accountable when something goes wrong.
What this means for landlords
- If you already use an agent: review repair response times, complaint handling and written compliance responsibilities rather than assuming the basics are covered.
- If you are considering full management: ask who signs off on notices, repairs records and RRA processes before handing over day-to-day control.
- Watch for: any move by ministers to accelerate mandatory qualifications for letting and estate agency staff.
- Bottom line: more landlords are leaning on agents, but the value lies in competent execution rather than simply outsourcing the workload.
Editor’s view
There is nothing wrong with outsourcing. The danger starts when landlords outsource responsibility in their own minds as well. This NRLA data is a useful reminder that agent involvement only helps when the agent is actually good.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 27 August 2026
Sources: National Residential Landlords Association, Pegasus Insight, English Housing Survey
Related reading: Government weighs tougher checks and new rules for property agents
📘 Renters’ Rights Act: Complete Landlord Guide
Everything you need to know about the new rules – 1 May 2026
