A lettings agency platform that wants to use much more AI is warning that the private rental sector is facing its toughest period for years.
Dwelly is a PropTech platform that has acquired 10 mostly small independent letting agencies this year alone.
Those well-regarded independent UK agencies snapped up in 2025 include Paramount Properties, Goodwin, Lime Property, Albery Tyson, Elliot Oliver, Move, Eden Harper, AP Morgan, Settio and Shaws.
Dwelly then injects much more use of PropTech and AI into the agencies.
It already has a property portfolio of some 15,000 managed units and boasts US$170m of investment it can use to buy more.
The platform has now issued a statement saying: “For much of the last two years, the narrative surrounding Britain’s private rented sector has been overwhelmingly negative.
“Landlords are leaving. Regulation is increasing. The Renters’ Rights Act has fundamentally reshaped the landscape.
“Operating costs continue to rise and compliance requirements are becoming more demanding.”
However, Dwelly insists this makes the sector ripe for more technology.
Its statement continues: “Whilst some smaller landlords have chosen to exit in the face of increasing regulation, taxation and higher operating costs, those who remain are increasingly operating on a more professional footing, with greater reliance on experienced letting agents capable of navigating an increasingly complex legislative landscape.”
The company believes that trend is only likely to accelerate as the Renters Rights Act beds in, and it insists that rather than reducing the need for letting agents, the reforms are increasing the value of those able to deliver high-quality, compliant property management at scale.
“For landlords, professional expertise is becoming more important than ever. For agents, operational efficiency is becoming just as critical as local market knowledge.
“It’s here that Dwelly believes technology will play an increasingly important role.
“Rather than replacing letting agents, the company’s AI platform has been developed to automate much of the growing administrative burden associated with compliance, maintenance, communication and day-to-day property management, allowing experienced teams to spend more time advising landlords, supporting tenants and building client relationships.”
