Zoopla says buyer searches are now 7% higher than a year ago, increasing across every region and country of the UK for the first time since August 2025.
That makes September potentially one of the best opportunities landlords have had this year to sell.
It’s called the September Bounce and it alone is a great reason landlords thinking about selling their rental properties should take note, but there could also be another reason to get proceedings moving sooner rather than later.
The Budget is Coming
The Autumn Budget is on 28 October and speculation about what Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Chancellor John Healey could do to property and wealth taxation is already gathering pace.
The Renters’ Rights Act is in force. Making Tax Digital is underway. The PRS Database is beginning to take shape. EPC deadlines remain on the horizon and landlords are already facing higher tax rates on property income from April 2027.
Now Capital Gains Tax, a mansion tax, land value taxation and even replacing council tax with an annual property tax paid by property owners are being discussed as possible inclusions in the Budget.
Several mainstream newspapers are telling UK homeowners to brace themselves for an interest rate rise and, last week, Property118 reported that Andy Burnham is facing calls to replace council tax and stamp duty with a proportional annual property tax.
Under the Fairer Share model previously backed by Mr Burnham, the tax would be charged at 0.48% of a property’s value and, importantly for landlords, responsibility for paying it would move from the occupier to the owner.
That would mean £1,200 a year on a £250,000 property or £2,400 on a £500,000 property.
None of the speculation should be treated as policy unless it is announced, but landlords who were already considering selling have to decide whether waiting for certainty is worth it.
What Do Buyers Look Like in Sept 2026?
Higher mortgage rates have reduced buyers’ purchasing power by 9% since January and while searches are up 7%, the number of sales being agreed is down 6%, meaning that while buyers have returned, they have plenty of choice and less money to spend.
Advice from Zoopla and Rightmove is clear: those who price realistically will be best placed to attract buyers this autumn.
It’s a strategy we know very well at Landlord Sales Agency. Sellers have to price to sell. Not because we say so. Because the buyers do.
Of course, sellers can take that advice and simply reduce their asking price via a high street agent, but when selling through Landlord Sales Agency, the discount doesn’t just buy you a faster offer, it buys you a secured sale, less risk, more certainty and a faster completion.
Typically, sellers walk away with 85–90% of the vacant possession value and no estate agency or legal fees to pay. We use that equity throughout the process to solve problems, reduce risk and costs and enable sellers to continue collecting rent.
We market properties on Rightmove and Zoopla and through local agents, as well as to our database of more than 30,000 companies, investors and owner-occupiers.
We can sell properties with tenants in situ, without tenants, in good condition or needing work. We specialise in portfolios where different properties – and different tenants – may need different solutions.
If sellers would prefer not to disturb their tenants, we focus on investors or help tenants overcome the obstacles stopping them buying the property themselves.
If sellers simply want us to “look after their tenants”, we include owner-occupiers in the marketing and, depending on the buyer, help tenants move in return for voluntary surrender if necessary.
If tenants have already left or are planning to leave, we reduce the amount of leverage we need, find the best buyer and manage the sale to minimise the void period.
Landlord Sales Agency Gives Landlords Options
One Liverpool landlord contacted us because the route to releasing equity was so complicated he felt trapped – he wanted to leave the PRS but couldn’t see a straightforward way out.
His first property was a block of six self-contained flats in L13, sublet to a company providing accommodation for young people with care needs. Put simply, he didn’t know where to start. We took control, kept all parties informed and onside so we could gather the materials expected by buyers and their solicitors. We found a cash buyer in 22 days and, despite the complex nature of the tenancies, completed within 14 weeks.
His second property was a two-bedroom terrace in L20. His tenant had already given notice but the landlord still had a mortgage to pay. He wanted a fast sale and to avoid being liable for mortgage payments with no rent to cover them. We found a buyer within 13 days, coordinated completion around the tenant’s moving date and deposited the money in his bank less than 13 weeks later.
In just 14 weeks we solved the problems that were trapping him in the parts of his business he no longer wanted to manage, freeing not only his choices but also almost £400,000 of equity.
Contact Us Today to Beat the Budget and Take Advantage of The September Bounce
We will listen to your preferences and look at the tenancies to work out which route we think is best to get your properties sold with less drama and the most money.
If you’re happy with the price we think we can achieve, we’ll get the paperwork done, speak to your tenants, find the right buyer and take care of everything else.
Selling tenanted property really can be as simple as that.