There were 1,000 fewer landlords in Scotland between August 2024 and February 2025, dropping from 237,717 to 236,737, figures from the Scottish landlord register show.
However, the number of registered properties has increased from 349,791 to 350,824.
Many of the SNP’s housing policies are being blamed on the landlord exodus, including the freeze on rental increases during the pandemic, as well as the steep investor surcharge of 8% on to Scotland’s land and buildings transaction tax.
David Alexander, the chief executive officer of DJ Alexander Scotland, said: “Property investors and landlords have a choice. They can invest their money anywhere they choose in the UK or elsewhere. Tenants don’t have that choice. They are unlikely to be able to travel around the UK to work and live so they must find a home in a specific area.”
“Too often the Scottish government seems to assume that the private rented sector is an adjunct to the housing sector rather than being a crucial part of it. With a social housing waiting list of several hundreds of thousands and the continued falling number of new build homes there is little sign that a solution is in sight. The PRS is, therefore, one of the main answers to the current housing emergency.”
Currently it seems small landlords are being driven out of the market, replaced by larger property investors and corporate entities.
David Alexander, the chief executive officer of DJ Alexander Scotland, said: “The PRS is the main source of homes for people coming to Scotland to work or from areas where they have not been resident for long.
“The social housing sector is largely for those who have lived in an area for decades. First Minister John Swinney has just proposed a new Sottish visa to encourage workers from elsewhere to fill the skills gap in Scotland, yet it is unclear how these people will be housed.
“Furthermore, it is uncertain what the Scottish government would do if the 700,000 people who currently live in the PRS no longer have a home to live in.”
Despite the negatives DJ Alexander has seen 24% of purchases in the first six weeks of this year being undertaken by buy to let investors.
