One in five new buy-to-let companies set up this year have been founded by foreign investors, research shows.

Figures from Hamptons reveal that foreign-owned buy-to-let firms made up 20% of incorporations between January and August 2025, up from 13% in 2016, while mortgage lender Together says its own data back up the findings.

Investors from India established 684 new companies so far this year, while Nigerians have founded 647.

The figures are echoed by mortgage data from Together, which show it lent more than £16.5m in loans to foreign property investors between September 2024 and August 2025.

Together is lending an average of £1.38m per month to foreign investors and the average loan size is £139,032.

However, the lender says this trend may be tested by the upcoming Autumn Statement, which is expected to introduce new property taxes. 

These could include a potential national insurance charge on rental income.

Together chief commercial officer Ryan Etchells says: “Foreign investors provide a much-needed injection of capital at a time when UK domestic investment is constrained, helping to ease pressure on the private rental market and support housing supply.

“London has traditionally been seen as the best city for foreign investment, yet in recent years we have seen dramatic growth around the rest of the country.

“For example, in the East and West Midlands and in Scotland, foreign ownership has more than doubled since 2016.

“This diversification benefits communities nationwide, spreading economic activity beyond the capital, supporting local jobs and providing homes.

“Ultimately, foreign investment is not just about property ownership, it shows there is confidence in the UK’s legal and financial systems, and can be a real benefit to our struggling rental market.”