Two-thirds of rental properties are now using a letting agent as landlords increasingly turn to professional management, according to new research.
Pegasus Insight finds 66% of rental properties use an agent for at least part of the letting process, the highest proportion recorded in two years.
That has increased from 61% in the first quarter of 2026 and 62% a year ago, with particularly strong growth in landlords opting for full management.
A quarter of properties now use a full management service, up from 20% just three months earlier.
MANAGEMENT DEMANDS
The research also highlights the substantial difference in the amount of time landlords spend managing properties depending on whether they use an agent.
Self-managing landlords spend an average 51 hours a month looking after their rental properties, compared with 11 hours for those using a full management service.
Across all landlords, an average 33 hours a month is spent managing portfolios.
The burden increases significantly with portfolio size. Landlords with between one and five properties spend an average 18 hours a month on management, rising to 83 hours among those with 11 or more.
Bethan Cooke (main picture, inset), Director of Pegasus Insight, says: “Being a landlord has become an increasingly demanding responsibility, and the legislative and regulatory changes now facing the Private Rented Sector are adding to that complexity.
“It is perhaps unsurprising that more landlords are choosing to seek professional support, particularly with the day-to-day management of their properties.”
AGENT OPPORTUNITY
Among properties not under full management, 34% use an agent solely to find tenants and a further 6% use an agent for letting and rent collection. Around a third, 34%, are managed without an agent.
Interestingly, larger portfolio borrowers are more likely to manage properties themselves.
Some 39% of properties belonging to landlords with four or more buy-to-let mortgages are self-managed, compared with 31% among landlords with one to three mortgages.
Pegasus Insight suggests this could reflect the greater likelihood of portfolio borrowers being professional landlords. Some 37% of those with four or more buy-to-let mortgages are full-time landlords.
Cooke adds: “For landlords who are juggling rental responsibilities alongside other commitments, or who are concerned about keeping pace with changing requirements, a good letting agent can provide valuable expertise and take on a substantial administrative burden.
“As the responsibilities associated with letting property become more complex, professional agents have an increasingly important role to play in helping landlords understand and meet their obligations.”
