Which party is best for landlords?
The Renters' Rights Act rewrote the rules; the next arguments are capital gains on your exit, annual property taxes, and energy standards. The party gap is wide.
The new baseline every landlord inherits
The Renters' Rights Act ended Section 21: possession now needs grounds and evidence, rent rises are annual and challengeable, and periodic tenancies are standard. Selling up triggers CGT at 18/24% on the gain. Minimum energy-efficiency standards (EPC C by 2030 for new tenancies) are the next cost on the horizon.
Where the parties stand
- Conservatives — the most landlord-sympathetic frame: warned the Act over-corrects and will shrink supply; abolishing stamp duty on main homes helps portfolio-adjacent moves, though the 5% second-home surcharge stays.
- Reform UK — deregulatory instincts plus stamp duty 0% below £750,000 — which would also cut the surcharged rate on buy-to-let purchases.
- Labour — the Act is theirs; enforcement (a landlord database, an ombudsman) deepens from 2026.
- Greens — rent controls in high-pressure areas plus CGT at income-tax rates — together the toughest package for landlords on offer.
- Proportional Property Tax — the wildcard: a 0.48% annual charge replacing council tax and stamp duty, payable by owners — including on rental portfolios.
The bottom line
The exit question dominates: a higher-rate landlord selling a £100,000 gain pays ~£23,280 today, ~£38,800 under the Green plan — the CGT calculator shows your figure. On day-to-day economics the Conservative and Reform offers are friendlier; on the direction of regulation, the Act's framework looks permanent whoever wins.
See every party's impact on your own numbers → · Full compare matrix →
Frequently asked questions
Can landlords still evict tenants?
Yes, with legal grounds: selling the property, moving back in, serious arrears or antisocial behaviour — with evidence and notice, and some grounds barred in a tenancy's first year. What's gone is eviction without any reason (Section 21).
Which party would raise taxes on landlords most?
The Greens: capital gains taxed at income-tax rates (up to 45–48% instead of 24%) plus rent controls in high-pressure areas. The Proportional Property Tax — a 0.48% annual charge on property values — would also hit portfolios, though it isn't Green policy.
Is buy-to-let still worth it?
That's a personal financial question this site doesn't advise on — but the policy inputs are: tighter possession rules (permanent), EPC C requirements by 2030, today's 18/24% CGT on exit, and party plans that could move that exit tax substantially in either direction.