The race for landlords to restructure their portfolios ahead of regulatory reform prompted the busiest day on record for buy-to-let searches last month on the Twenty7tec platform.  

Enquiries on 18 March doubled the volume of the previous day, with the surge contributing to one of the highest seven-day totals ever recorded for BTL activity, according to the search engine business. 

It says the move comes “amid growing concern from landlords about affordability, tax burdens and increased regulation”, such as the end of fixed-term tenancies and the abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions under the Renters’ Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament. 

Also, at the start of this month, the Treasury introduced stamp duty changes, which include the nil-rate halving to £125,000 from £250,000, reversing thresholds set in the September 2022 mini-Budget. 

The firm says this has “prompted some investors to re-evaluate their long-term strategies, the record spike in mortgage search activity is more closely linked to landlords remortgaging to future-proof their portfolios ahead of regulatory shifts”. 

The search engine’s data shows a 22.9% month-on-month rise in BTL mortgage searches in the £150,000 to £250,000 bracket, dwarfing a 6.4% growth in residential searches. 

Twenty7tec director Nathan Reilly says: “As new changes appear on the horizon, we are noticing that landlords are acting more decisively when it comes to their next steps, and we’re seeing a significant increase in BTL remortgages as property investors look to future-proof their portfolios. 

“The spike in searches for properties between £150,000 and £250,000 is particularly telling. That price band is seeing the greatest change in activity, and it’s BTL, not residential, that’s driving it. 

“In addition to this, we are seeing record levels of products available, with 25,218 total products by the end of March.  

“This is 128 more than February – up 0.51%. There’s more choice than ever for BTL landlords, but with external pressures mounting, the next few months will be telling as to whether landlords stay the course, adapt their strategies – or begin to exit the market altogether.”