From refinancing to landlord insurance, industry voices say the shift could boost brokers
The Renters' Rights Act could mark a turning point for mortgage brokers, not by increasing landlord numbers, but by reshaping the type of client they serve.
Early indications suggest fewer smaller landlords and a shift towards more professional, portfolio-driven investors. For brokers, that change is expected to drive more complex, advice-led business.
For Michelle Niziol, CEO at IMS Property Group, the Act creates a clear opportunity for brokers to engage more proactively with their landlord clients.
“The Renters’ Rights Act is prompting landlords to reassess their position,” she said. “That creates a natural reason to pick up the phone or meet with buy-to-let clients, understand where they stand and whether they are exposed.”
READ MORE: Landlords brace for an uncertain future as Renters' Rights Act looms
Those conversations go beyond the legislation itself. Niziol said they allow brokers to strengthen relationships and position themselves as advisers rather than purely transactional intermediaries.
The direction of travel, she added, is towards a more structured rental market. While some smaller landlords may exit, others will adapt, and more established or portfolio investors may look to expand. That shift is likely to drive activity across refinancing, restructuring and portfolio planning.
“We’re moving towards a market where how you manage property matters just as much as what you own,” she said.
Poll results: Will the Renters' Rights Act 2025 put greater value on broker advice?
Will the Renters' Rights Act 2025 put greater value on broker advice?
As lenders place more emphasis on how properties are run, brokers are expected to play a greater role in helping clients assess affordability, structure portfolios and plan longer term.
Brokers may not need to wait for structural change to see results. Danny Belton, head of TMG Club at The Money Group, said the Act does not fundamentally alter lending itself, but creates a clear reason to re-engage with landlord clients.
“What I'm sensing is that whilst there are changes from the 1st of May, I don't think these are serious enough for a number of landlords to panic,” he said.
“But any change that is of some degree of magnitude, which this is, warrants the broker to get in touch with landlord just to have the conversation, just to check in and that can simply lead to new business.”
READ MORE: Lettings in flux: rents creeping up as Renters’ Rights Act looms
He added that even in a volatile rate environment, those conversations can create openings for brokers to guide clients on timing and decision-making.
The opportunity may also extend beyond mortgages. Belton said insurers are already responding to the changes, with more landlord-focused products entering the market.
“A number of GI providers are now offering a landlord’s product. Why? Because they can see that actually the Renters' Rights Act does actually potentially drive an opportunity there or the need for more insurance.”
However, not all brokers see the Act translating into new business. Rachel Lummis, mortgage and protection adviser at Xpress Mortgages, said she expects it to reduce landlord numbers and does not view it as a growth driver.
“I only see negatives as far as business goes,” she said, pointing to clients already choosing to exit the market.
“At the end of the day we are here to advise on and arrange mortgages, not to be an educator to our clients on the ins and outs of the Act,” she said.
The Renters' Rights Act may reduce the number of landlords in the market. But for brokers, the more important shift is who remains.
As portfolios become larger, more structured and more commercially driven, the role of the broker is likely to move further away from transaction and deeper into advice. For some brokers, that shift may not translate into more business. For others, it points to higher-value, more complex opportunities.
