Only 23% of landlords feel confident about the future of their letting business, while 85% report making a profit, according to Pegasus Insight findings reported by Property Industry Eye on 4 November 2026. The comparison illustrates why current performance and expectations should be examined separately.
The report compares those figures with 2011, when confidence was 63% and the proportion reporting a profit was 82%. It also reports average rental yields of 6.4%, against 6.7% in 2011, and a decline in the proportion experiencing arrears from 50% to 28%.
These are attributed research findings, rather than a statement that every landlord is profitable or that every portfolio faces the same outlook. The report summarises an industry workshop; it does not supply the full survey tables, sample design or a complete definition of profit for readers to audit.
Performance is not the same as confidence
A landlord can be receiving more income than current expenditure while still being concerned about future costs, workload or investment decisions. Conversely, low confidence does not prove that a business is currently making a loss. The figures should not be collapsed into a single claim about the health of all rented housing.
For an individual portfolio, review actual receipts, commitments and outstanding work. Keep a cash-flow assessment separate from a view of long-term value and record which future costs remain estimates. An industry average cannot settle whether a particular property is sustainable or whether an owner should buy or sell.
Read long comparisons with care
The report also describes an older landlord population and changes in portfolio ownership and borrowing. Before drawing conclusions over a 15-year period, examine how the research was conducted and whether the groups being compared were recruited in the same way.
Industry explanations about government policy or uncertainty are interpretations of the results. The confidence and profitability percentages alone do not establish the cause of either measure.
For agents and lenders, the practical message is to ask about a landlord’s plans as well as their current figures. A profitable client may be reducing their involvement, while another may be considering investment. The relevant answer comes from the client and supporting records, not from assigning them the survey average.
Source: Property Industry Eye’s report of Pegasus Insight research presented at its Landlord Trends Workshop, 4 November 2026.