BTL landlords rush to sell portfolios as Renters' Rights Act 2025 takes effect on Friday 1 May

With the Renters' Rights Act 2025 in force from Friday 1 May, law firm Thackray Williams reports a surge in last-minute Section 21 notices and sale instructions from landlords trying to exit before the deadline. The Act ends Section 21 evictions, switches fixed-term tenancies to periodic agreements, caps rent rises and adds anti-discrimination rules — combining with BTL refinance rates moving from 1–2% deals to 5–6% to make many portfolios commercially unviable. For buyers this could mean more ex-rental stock at sharper prices in rental-heavy areas; for sellers there it adds local competition. The size of any house-price impact will depend on how concentrated the sell-down becomes.