The regulatory and economic landscape of 2026 has brought structural shifts to the private rental sector with the implementation of the Renters' Rights Act. In many cases, smaller landlords with one rental property have found the tax implications of this Act erode most financial benefits. This has caused a significant shift where smaller, non-portfolio investors are exiting the market, allowing more experienced property landlords to move in.
A closer look at market data reveals that demand remains exceptionally strong for focused, non-portfolio landlords and high-quality short-term lets. For brokers, the key to unlocking these opportunities lies in identifying a partner that doesn't rely on rigid box-ticking, but instead uses a manual underwriting model.
How do we unlock Holiday Let potential in the current market?
The short-term holiday letting market continues to evolve. While amateur hosts are reducing their presence, experienced owners of premium holiday lets are benefiting from the structural change.
Intermediaries regularly find that mainstream automated systems penalise holiday lets by evaluating them under standard Assured Shorthold Tenancy (AST) rent calculations. This practice fails to capture the true revenue potential of a seasonal staycation asset.
To support holiday let owners with a small footprint (up to three properties total), our criteria aligns with true commercial performance. With our specialist approach to Holiday Lets, you clients can benefit from our:
- True seasonal projections: Assessing income by using a verified average of low, mid, and high-season rental figures provided by a reputable, professional holiday letting agent
- Flexible occupancy rules: Enabling owners to enjoy their own properties by permitting up to 90 days of personal occupancy per year
- Individual affordability checking: Reviewing every application on a case-by-case basis through human underwriters who understand the mortgage market, rather than applying a general, national credit score.
What’s the value of tailored underwriting?
As the market moves away from casual BTL investing toward a more intentional approach, the value of the broker-lender partnership becomes clear. Non-portfolio landlords and holiday let owners don’t need generic, automated responses; they require a manual risk assessment that recognises the strength of their specific assets.
When you partner with Leek Building Society, you can benefit from our pragmatic underwriting process where each case is assessed on its individual merits. This helps you to keep your client cases moving forward with confidence.
With Leek Building Society, not only will your clients benefit from manual underwriting process, they’ll also gain the following features:
- No minimum income – assessed on the strength of the rental yield
- Free valuations – to reduce upfront costs
- Personal use – allowed up to 90 days per year
- Up to 75% LTV – on new builds, houses and flats (up to 12 storeys)
- First-time landlords accepted
Submit your next scenario
If you have a BTL or Holiday Let case that requires our human, personalised approach, call our dedicated Intermediaries Team on 0808 281 9309 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Our core product range includes:
- Standard BTL – 2 & 5 Year Fixed Rates
- Limited Company BTL – 2 & 5 Year Fixed Rates
- Holiday Let – 2 & 5 Year Fixed Rates
