Rent-to-rent — control without ownership
3+ bed rentals you can sub-let as an HMO or serviced accommodation. You take the head lease, the landlord gets guaranteed rent, you keep the spread. No deposit, no mortgage, no stamp duty.
Why rent-to-rent works
You sign a head lease with the property owner at a fixed monthly rent. You then sub-let the property either room-by-room as an HMO, or short-stay as serviced accommodation. The difference between what you pay the landlord and what you collect from the end tenants (minus bills, cleaning, voids) is your operator margin. The landlord gets guaranteed rent for the lease term and no management hassle. You scale a portfolio without ever buying. We surface every UK rental that has the layout, bedroom count and licensing context to actually work as an R2R, not the wrong-sized stock that wastes a viewing.
Layout-filtered listings
3+ bed rentals with the bedroom count, reception layout and parking to convert. Studios and 1-beds are filtered out automatically.
Operator margin estimated
We model both HMO (room-by-room) and SA (short-stay) revenue against the headline rent so you can see the spread before viewing.
Landlord-friendly listings flagged
Listings from landlords with multiple let properties — the ones most likely to accept an R2R structure on a guaranteed-rent basis.
Why investors use PropAI Deals
How it works
- 1Sign up and tell us your buying box in 60 seconds.
- 2We match you with every UK property that fits, scored by our AI.
- 3Run the numbers in our calculator and push strong deals to your pipeline.
- 4Make faster, better offers. Close more deals.
Frequently asked questions
What is rent-to-rent?
Rent-to-rent (R2R) is a strategy where you sign a head lease with a property owner at a fixed monthly rent, then sub-let the property to end tenants for more — either as an HMO (rooms) or as serviced accommodation (nightly). The spread between the head rent and the sub-let income, after costs, is your operator margin.
Do I need the landlord's permission?
Yes — always. R2R requires written consent from the freeholder and (where applicable) the mortgage lender, plus an HMO licence if you are running it as one. Setting up R2R without consent voids the lease and exposes you to the local authority. We surface listings where the landlord has signalled they would consider professional let arrangements, so the consent conversation is easier.
What gross margin should I expect?
On a well-located 4-5 bed HMO R2R, gross margins of 30-50% are realistic before management. On a city-centre SA R2R, 40-60% gross at high season, dipping in shoulder months. Net margins after voids, bills, cleaning and platform fees usually settle at 20-35%.
Is rent-to-rent legal?
Yes, when set up correctly. You need a properly drafted head lease (commercial / company let, not an AST), freeholder consent, mortgage lender consent if applicable, the right HMO licence for the unit, gas safety, EPC, fire risk assessment, and standard landlord compliance — the same as any HMO operator. Get a property solicitor to draft the head lease. Do not use AST templates.
Scale without buying
See every UK rental sized and licensed to work as an HMO or SA rent-to-rent, with operator margin modelled on each one.
See R2R rentals7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.
