NRLA Liverpool Conference 2026: Key Takeaways for Landlords Across England

Venue: Exhibition Centre Liverpool, Kings Dock, Liverpool L3 4FP
Date: 05th November 2026

The NRLA Conference in Liverpool on 25 November 2026 brought together over 800 landlords, portfolio owners, property managers, and industry suppliers from across England & Wales.

And crucially — this was not a room of accidental landlords.
This was the professional core of the private rented sector:

• Self-managed landlords with 3–12 properties

• Portfolio builders scaling to 20–50

• High-scale operators with 70–140 properties, many of whom have strategically trimmed the bottom 10–15% of their stock during the Section 21 uncertainty

• Lettings influencers, compliance advisers, insurers, software providers, mortgage brokers and regulatory specialists

This is not a sector collapsing — it is a sector maturing, modernising, and consolidating.

1. The Renters’ Rights Bill – Clarity Needed More Than Fear

Speaker: Ben Beadle, Chief Executive, NRLA

One of the most striking takeaways from the day was how many experienced landlords admitted they still aren’t clear on the exact details of the Renters’ Rights Bill — because Government communication to landlords has been limited.

This raised a shared question across multiple talks and Q&As:

If reform is coming, why hasn’t it been clearly communicated to the landlords expected to comply?

For reference, here is the official Government guidance hub:
👉 https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/renting-reform-policy

NRLA reiterated:

• Section 21 will only be abolished after court performance improves

• Section 8 must be clear, fair and enforceable

• Enforcement must focus on rogue landlords, not responsible ones

Duncan (CMO) summed up the tone of the room:

“This wasn’t landlords complaining.
This was landlords planning — which is always when the market gets interesting.”

2. Zoopla Market Update – Yields Are Healthier, Growth Is Stabilising

Speaker: Richard Donnell, Executive Director – Zoopla

Zoopla confirmed that yields have quietly improved in many English regions because:

• Rents rose sharply between 2021–2025 due to supply pressures

• House prices flattened as interest rates rose

• Many landlords updated long-standing below-market rents to reflect rising operating costs

A realistic nuance discussed openly:

Some landlords carried out earlier rent reviews due to uncertainty around future rent stabilisation talk.

This wasn’t “price hiking”. It was:

• Matching rents to real costs

• Adapting to mortgage changes

• Re-aligning homes long underpriced

Where the market sits now:

Rent growth is moderating, not reversing.
And tenant affordability is now the key ceiling.

The spike is over. The market is moving into steady, long-term balance.

3. Make Tax Digital – The Practical Shift Ahead

Speaker: HMRC Policy Representative
Commentary: Praduman, CTO – Homesty

Make Tax Digital (MTD) will change how landlords report rental income.

Instead of one annual tax return, landlords will be required to:

• Keep digital records

• Submit four quarterly updates

• File one final year-end confirmation

What landlords must prepare:

• Move away from manual spreadsheets

• Adopt MTD-compatible software such as:

  • Xero

  • QuickBooks

  • FreeAgent

• Begin recording income and expenses digitally as you go

Advice repeated across the room:

Start your digital transition in 2026 — not the year your reporting obligations kick in.

Changing early =
Less stress.
Cleaner data.
Time to adjust.

Praduman’s take:

“Most landlord software hasn’t innovated in a decade.
The real future isn’t AI — it’s platforms that actually integrate with HMRC and each other.”

4. EPC C – The Requirement That Isn’t (But the Pressure Still Is)

Let’s clarify this cleanly:

EPC Exemptions that still apply:

• Cost cap exemption (if cheapest upgrade > £3,500)

• Heritage or building fabric risk

• Freeholder refusal (for leaseholds)

• “All viable improvements completed but rating remains below target”

Exemptions require registration and last 5 years.

Key practical strategy:

If your EPC is expiring soon, renewing now resets the 10-year clock —
giving landlords time to plan improvements on their own terms.

5. Conversations on the Floor – Real Landlord Sentiment

Some of the strongest signals didn’t come from the stage — they came from conversations around the sofa's, between sessions, and by the hot beverage table.

Landlords were:

• Not selling up in panic

• Not fearful of reform

• Not resistant to higher standards

They were:

• Refining portfolios

• Improving property condition where it adds value

• Preparing systems for efficiency

• Positioning for long-term viability

Xavier (CEO) after speaking with more than 30 landlords:

“We explained Homesty free to list model and peer-to-peer end to end offering — then the landlords started selling it back to us.
That’s when you know the product has landed.”

Duncan (CMO) on the venue and mood:

“The event sat right on the Mersey — a river with more history and backbone than most industries.
It makes the Thames look like a polite little stream.
Liverpool built ships that crossed oceans — including the Titanic — and yet the attitude here is still ‘adapt, rebuild, move forward.’
That’s exactly what landlords are doing now — not retreating, just evolving.”

Praduman (CTO) on tech direction:

“The next leap isn’t flashy. It’s practical.
Tools that genuinely reduce admin and integrate with HMRC will win.”

This was not a sector under pressure — it was a sector professionalising in real-time.

Final Takeaway

The private rented sector in England is not shrinking — it’s re-aligning for sustainability.

The landlords who will thrive are those who:

• Keep clean digital records

• Understand yield vs cost balance

• Maintain warm, safe, efficient homes

• Communicate clearly with tenants

• Adapt early, rather than react late

This is not the end of landlord-led renting.
It’s the upgrade phase.