Landlord exits are running at record levels. Section 24 tax changes, the abolition of Section 21 evictions under the Renters’ Rights Act, EPC compliance costs, and rising mortgage rates have pushed a significant share of smaller and mid-sized landlords toward selling, often with tenants still in place. The question most exiting landlords face is a practical one: who actually buys a tenanted property in 2026, and what’s the difference between the firms that do?
Below are five firms that handle buy-to-let purchases in the UK, with what each one actually does and the kind of seller each tends to suit. The list includes us, positioned at number one, and we’ve tried to be straight about where we sit relative to the other operators rather than pretend the comparison favours us in every case.
How These Five Firms Compare
| # | Firm | Best For | NAPB Member | Coverage |
| 1 | Property Buyers Today | Single tenanted properties, fast completion | Yes (since 2020) | UK-wide |
| 2 | Landlord Sales Agency | Whole-portfolio exits | Yes | UK-wide |
| 3 | House Buyer Bureau | Established buyer, flexible timing | Yes (since 2014) | UK-wide |
| 4 | Upstix | Tech-driven valuation, fast offers | Yes (since 2023) | UK-wide |
| 5 | National Residential | Multiple sale routes including cash | Yes (since 2014) | UK-wide |
All five are NAPB members. Specific terms (offer percentages, completion timeframes, fee arrangements) vary case by case and should be confirmed with each firm directly.
1. Property Buyers Today
Property Buyers Today is a London-based direct cash buyer that’s been an NAPB member since January 2020. Buying tenanted property is something they do as a routine part of the service, with completions typically in seven to twenty-one days depending on the complexity of the tenancy and the seller’s paperwork. They use their own funds rather than sourcing investors after agreement, which means the offer they make at the start is the offer that holds through to completion.
Specifically for landlord clients, Property Buyers Today takes the tenancy as it stands. Section 48 notice paperwork, protected deposit transfers, and post-completion management of the tenancy are dealt with as part of their tenanted property service. The offer reflects the rent level, the tenant’s payment history, the deposit position, and any complications in the underlying tenancy agreement, rather than being made on assumptions that get revised at survey.
Why Property Buyers Today is at the top of this list: They’re best suited to single-property or small-portfolio sellers who need speed and certainty and no hidden fees. With exceptional customer service and commitment to a quick and positive experience for the seller, they’re a clear leader in the cash buyer space.
Visit Property Buyers Today.
2. Landlord Sales Agency
Landlord Sales Agency operates specifically in the portfolio exit market and is one of the more distinctive firms in the sector. The agency was co-founded by David Coughlin, who is also managing director of National Residential and was one of the practitioners involved in setting up the NAPB itself.
The model is different from the standard direct-buyer approach. Landlord Sales Agency runs a network of private buyer companies and portfolio investors, and effectively brokers the sale of the portfolio into that network rather than buying directly from their own balance sheet. According to their own published materials, they’ve sold portfolios up to £20 million in single transactions and have handled over £100 million in landlord property sales.
The firm is best suited to landlords with whole portfolios to sell rather than individual properties, particularly in the £1 million-plus range. The trade-off is that, as a brokered route, the timeline depends on matching the portfolio to a buyer in their network rather than completing directly from their own funds. For sellers with portfolios of the right size and tenancy profile, the model often produces stronger pricing than a single-buyer route.
Visit Landlord Sales Agency.
3. House Buyer Bureau
House Buyer Bureau is a Derby-based direct buyer that joined the NAPB in January 2014 as one of the early members. According to its own published materials, the company has been buying houses using its own cash since 2010, which makes it one of the longer-established operators in the sector.
The firm’s approach is direct purchase from its own funds, with the seller setting the timescale rather than the company. For landlords selling tenanted property, the firm takes the tenancy at the point of sale and handles the post-completion administration. There’s no portfolio-specialist positioning here; the firm operates across the residential market generally, with tenanted property as one of the categories it deals with regularly.
For landlords with a single tenanted property or a small number to sell, House Buyer Bureau’s longevity and consistent NAPB membership over more than a decade are useful indicators of operational reliability.
Visit House Buyer Bureau.
4. Upstix
Upstix is a Leeds-based firm that joined the NAPB in November 2023 (member 88). The firm brings a different profile to the sector: according to its own materials, it has 25 years of industry experience across the leadership team and has completed over 4,000 property transactions worth £1 billion in aggregate.
The model emphasises speed of offer (final offers within 48 hours according to the firm’s published materials) and completion within 28 days. Upstix has built a more technology-driven valuation and offer system than the traditional direct-buyer approach, though the underlying transaction structure is the same: cash purchase, no chain, no mortgage dependency.
For landlords selling well-documented tenanted properties (clean rent records, AST documentation, deposit protection in order), the firm’s standardised process tends to be efficient. For tenancies with more complicated histories, sellers may find a firm that engages more case-by-case to be a better fit.
Visit Upstix.
5. National Residential
National Residential, based in Chester, is another NAPB founding member (joined January 2014, member 06). The firm is managed and directed by David Coughlin (also co-founder of Landlord Sales Agency above), and offers what it describes as multiple routes for sellers: a quick cash sale within seven to fourteen days and a 28-day fixed-price sale option, alongside other variants depending on the property.
For landlords, National Residential’s structure means there’s more than one possible route to a completed sale. Where speed is the priority, the cash sale option mirrors what we do at Property Buyers Today. Where the seller has time and wants to maximise the headline price, the fixed-price sale option can sometimes produce stronger numbers. The firm’s connection to the wider landlord-sales infrastructure (via Coughlin’s involvement) is useful for sellers whose properties might be better suited to a portfolio sale than a single-property direct purchase.
Visit National Residential.
Why So Many Landlords Are Exiting In 2026
A few factors that have stacked up at the same time, and most landlords cite more than one when explaining the decision.
- Section 24 tax restrictions, fully phased in since 2020, mean that higher-rate taxpayer landlords can no longer deduct mortgage interest from rental income before tax. For landlords with significant mortgage debt, this has materially changed the after-tax return profile of buy-to-let.
- The Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force in 2026, abolished Section 21 no-fault evictions and reformed the way landlords can recover possession. The change is workable for established professional landlords with good systems, but it has pushed many smaller landlords toward exit.
- EPC compliance costs are the third factor. Properties below EPC C will need upgrading under proposed regulations, and the cost of bringing older stock up to EPC C is often substantial.
Higher interest rates have also hit the buy-to-let model particularly hard because rental yields haven’t risen proportionally. Landlords who refinanced in 2023 or 2024 onto significantly higher rates have seen their cash position deteriorate, sometimes to the point where the property no longer washes its face on a cash basis.
What Distinguishes A Landlord-Friendly Buyer From A Generic Cash Buyer?
Four things, in our experience:
- Tenancy expertise. The firm should understand the difference between an AST, an assured tenancy, a regulated tenancy, and the various tenant categories under the Renters’ Rights Act. Firms that treat all tenanted property as the same category usually price badly on the more complex tenancies.
- Willingness to take tenancies with complications. Rent arrears, deposit protection issues, missing inventories, or section 21 notices served defectively are common in real-world landlord portfolios. Firms that walk away from any of these aren’t really specialists; they’re generalists trying to filter for the easy cases.
- Post-completion handling. The tenancy doesn’t disappear when the sale completes. The new landlord needs to issue a section 48 notice with their contact details, take over the deposit protection, and become the legal counterparty to the tenancy. Firms with proper systems for this transfer make the seller’s exit cleaner.
- Reasonable approach to viewings. The seller’s tenant doesn’t have a right to refuse access, but the seller’s relationship with the tenant matters, particularly if rent payments need to continue through the sale period. Firms that demand multiple inspection visits are not always the right fit; firms that can offer based on desktop valuation and seller-provided photos often are.
The Bottom Line
The five firms above all handle buy-to-let purchases in the UK and all operate to NAPB standards. The right fit depends on what’s being sold.
For single tenanted properties or small portfolios where speed and certainty matter, we’d back ourselves at Property Buyers Today and would say so directly. For whole-portfolio exits in the seven-figure range, Landlord Sales Agency or National Residential’s variant routes are often the better starting point. For more standardised sales with well-documented tenancies, Upstix’s process is efficient. For sellers who want the established direct-buyer route with no surprises, House Buyer Bureau’s track record is hard to argue with.
If you’re a landlord considering an exit and want to understand what your specific property is worth to us, we can have that conversation and give you a concrete offer to compare with whatever else you’re considering. There’s no obligation either way, and if the right route turns out to be one of the other firms on this list rather than us, we’ll say so.
FAQs
Can I sell my buy-to-let with the tenant still in place?
Yes, to another landlord, a portfolio investor, or a specialist cash buyer. Most owner-occupier buyers and their mortgage lenders require vacant possession, which is why the tenanted route requires a different type of buyer.
Does the tenant have a right to buy the property first?
No. UK tenants don’t have a statutory right of first refusal on residential property, though selling to the tenant is sometimes a workable option if they want to buy.
What happens to the deposit when I sell?
The deposit transfers to the new landlord and remains in the protection scheme it was originally placed in. The tenant should be notified of the new landlord’s details within the timeframe set by the scheme.
Can I evict the tenant before selling under the new rules?
The Renters’ Rights Act has changed the landscape significantly. Section 21 no-fault evictions are no longer available; landlords selling now need to use the appropriate Section 8 ground or sell with the tenant in situ. Ground 1A has a 12-month re-let restriction, which makes the eviction-then-sell route less attractive than it used to be.
Will I pay capital gains tax on the sale?
Almost certainly, unless the property was your main residence for part of the ownership period. Rates for residential property gains are higher than for other assets. Specialist tax advice is worth the fee.
Can a portfolio be sold as a single transaction?
Yes. Portfolio specialists handle these routinely, and most established cash buyers will consider portfolio purchases up to a certain scale. Single-transaction portfolio sales typically attract a slight additional discount compared to selling individually, but save substantial time and transaction costs.
Is selling tenanted always at a discount to vacant possession value?
Usually, yes. The discount ranges from minimal (5 percent or so) for well-tenanted properties with strong rental income, to more significant where the tenancy carries complications. The trade-off is faster sale, no void period during marketing, and a smaller buyer pool to negotiate with.
