The following article is primarily aimed at Deputies, Trustees and Attorneys who are managing the affairs of clients under a Court of Protection or Personal Injury order.
The UK’s Renters’ Rights Act, which came into force on 1st May 2026, represents one of the most significant changes to the private rental market for a generation, and is likely to have implications for clients, their representatives, and the individuals they support.
The key focus of the reforms has centred on tenant protection, with the abolition of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions, stronger security of tenure, and tighter controls on rent increases, intended to create greater stability for renters.
From a Deputyship, Trust and Attorney perspective, many of these changes are likely to be welcomed. However, the reforms also raise broader questions about the long-term role of buy-to-let property as part of a protected party’s assets, and whether the balance between flexibility, risk and return has shifted materially in recent years.
For those renting accommodation
For Court of Protection and Personal Injury clients who rent accommodation, a stable housing situation is far more than simply having somewhere to call home.
Having worked alongside clients, their representatives and families supporting vulnerable individuals, I have seen first-hand how important the stability of a home and tenancy can be to a client’s longer-term recovery, wellbeing and overall quality of life. Continuity of accommodation can be key to maintaining care packages, rehabilitation, educational support and wider family networks. A stable and secure home environment can play a significant role in rebuilding confidence, creating routine and restoring a sense of normality following life-changing injury or illness.
For many Deputies, Trustees and Attorneys, avoiding unexpected tenancy disruption can significantly reduce stress and uncertainty for clients, their families and wider support networks. The move towards limiting rent increases to once per year may also assist with longer-term budgeting and cash flow planning, particularly where accommodation and care costs already place significant pressure on annual expenditure.
At a time when many care-related costs continue to rise faster than headline inflation, greater predictability of expenditure may prove beneficial for clients relying on rented accommodation as part of wider care and support arrangements. For those renting temporarily during a transition to an adapted property, the new legislation also removes fixed-term tenancies, with only two months’ notice now required, potentially reducing rental costs that might previously have been incurred due to longer notice periods. Equally for those relying on benefit income, landlords can no longer discriminate on the grounds that the tenant relies on benefits.
How will the Renters’ Rights Act impact owners of buy-to-let property?
While the reforms may benefit tenants, they also reinforce a broader trend that has been developing for several years: buy-to-let investments are becoming increasingly complicated. Under the new legislation, landlords are likely to face enhanced record-keeping requirements, potential property improvement costs, and higher professional fees.
Landlords are now navigating a combination of:
- additional stamp duty charges
- tighter EPC requirements
- rising insurance and maintenance costs
- difficult and prolonged evictions of non-paying tenants
- increasing regulation
- significantly enhanced tenant protections
Collectively, these changes are altering the balance between risk, return and the administrative burden for buy-to-let investors.
The shift in sentiment towards the sector is already starting to influence landlord behaviour. Recent reporting has suggested that around 254,000 rental properties were listed for sale in the year to March 2026, equivalent to almost 700 homes per day. At the same time, government survey data suggests a significant proportion of landlords intend to reduce their exposure to the sector altogether.
For clients and their representatives, this is prompting an increasingly important investment discussion, one we have been having more frequently.
Historically, buy-to-let property has often been viewed as a relatively safe and tangible investment, particularly by older generations of investors. For many families, buy-to-let investing still reflects an investment mindset shaped by previous decades, when property benefited from lower taxation, lighter regulation and prolonged house price appreciation. The environment facing investors today, however, is very different.
When viewed through the lens of Deputyship, Trust and Attorneyship responsibilities, the considerations are often broader than investment returns alone.
In practice, many buy-to-let investments now involve greater operational complexity, illiquidity and concentration risk than many investors initially anticipate. Once tax, maintenance, void periods, management fees and compliance costs are taken into account, the additional complexity involved increasingly requires careful consideration against alternative investment approaches.
Circumstances can quickly change for clients and families. Care needs evolve, adapted housing requirements change, and long-term expenditure can shift significantly over relatively short periods. As a result, tying capital up in a single buy-to-let property within one geographic market can leave it less accessible at the very moment flexibility and liquidity are needed.
Predictability of cash flow is equally important. Unexpected maintenance costs, void periods or significant refurbishment works can materially disrupt long-term financial planning, particularly where portfolios are designed to support care costs and lifestyle needs over many years.
Is it still worth investing in buy-to-let property?
That is not to suggest buy-to-let property no longer has a role. In certain circumstances, it may still form part of an appropriate wider strategy, particularly where there are long-term family considerations, or a desire for tangible assets alongside broader investments.
However, the investment case today is undoubtedly more nuanced than it was a decade ago, and requires increasingly careful consideration around liquidity, taxation, regulation and overall net returns.
For representatives in particular, these decisions must ultimately be viewed through the specific lens of long-term best interests, sustainability and flexibility.
Increasingly, this is leading many families and their advisers to consider whether a more diversified and actively managed investment approach may provide the flexibility and liquidity needed to meet long-term growth and income objectives.
Diversified investment portfolios can often provide:
- access to global opportunities
- daily liquidity
- professional active management
- diversified sources of income
- lower administrative burden, and
- the flexibility to adapt as circumstances change
Importantly, they can also allow clients to remain invested without many of the practical responsibilities and regulatory risks increasingly associated with being a landlord.
For clients and their representatives, the key question is therefore no longer simply whether buy-to-let property has historically performed well, but whether it continues to represent the most appropriate long-term use of capital for the client’s specific circumstances and future needs.
As the regulatory and investment landscape continues to evolve, many professional advisers and families are increasingly reviewing how property, cash and investment portfolios work together to support their clients over the long term.
Should you wish to have a broader discussion around buy-to-let investing, cash management or long-term financial planning for vulnerable clients and their families, please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Court of Protection team at JM Finn.
Equally, for clients who may be considering the sale of a buy-to-let property, taking advice around the management of sale proceeds, ongoing cash balances and longer-term investment strategy can often form an important part of wider financial planning and future care provision.
Ultimately, the right approach will always depend on the individual, their circumstances, objectives and long-term requirements.
The information provided is of a general nature and is not a substitute for specific advice with regard to your own circumstances. You are recommended to obtain specific advice from a qualified professional before you take any action or refrain from action.
