Why So Many Landlords Are Selling in 2026

Individual landlords across the country are exiting the rental business at a notable pace in 2026. Census data shows individual investors’ share of one-unit rental properties has fallen from 70.9% in 2021 to 59.6% today, and a national survey of independent landlords found 74.4% report their operating costs rose over the past year. Even the largest corporate landlords are net sellers right now. If you’re a Maryland landlord weighing whether to keep or sell a rental, the data suggests you’re far from alone.

Table of Contents

1. The Numbers Behind the “Tired Landlord” Trend
2. Why Costs Are Rising Faster Than Rents
3. Even Wall Street Landlords Are Selling
4. What This Means If You’re a Maryland Landlord
5. Renovate and Re-Rent, or Sell As-Is?
6. Steps to Sell a Rental Property With Tenants
7. How a Cash Sale Simplifies Exiting a Rental
8. FAQ

The Numbers Behind the “Tired Landlord” Trend

The shift away from individual rental ownership is measurable, not anecdotal. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Rental Housing Finance Survey, individual investors’ share of one-unit rental properties dropped from 70.9% in 2021 to 59.6% in the most recent survey — a significant decline in just a few years for what has historically been the dominant ownership category in the single-family rental market.

Separately, Avail’s 2026 Independent Landlord Survey found that 74.4% of independent landlords reported their costs increased over the past year, with insurance, property taxes, and maintenance cited most frequently as the drivers.

Why Costs Are Rising Faster Than Rents

Several cost categories have moved against landlords simultaneously over the past few years:

• Property insurance premiums have climbed sharply nationwide, and landlord policies (which typically cost more than standard homeowner policies) have risen even faster in many states, particularly those with elevated storm or wildfire risk.
• Property taxes rose to a national average of $4,427 per single-family home in 2025, up 3% year-over-year and outpacing inflation, according to ATTOM’s 2025 Property Tax Analysis — a cost landlords can’t always pass fully through to tenants in the short term.
• Maintenance and repair costs have risen with broader inflation in materials and skilled labor.
• Financing costs for landlords taking out new loans or refinancing existing ones remain elevated compared to the ultra-low rates many locked in years ago.

For a landlord managing one or two properties without the scale advantages of a large portfolio, these rising costs compress margins faster than rent increases can offset them — especially in markets with rent stabilization rules or simply a ceiling on what local tenants can afford.

Even Wall Street Landlords Are Selling

It isn’t just small landlords feeling the pressure. According to CNBC, reporting on data from real estate analytics firm Parcl, the number of homes owned by large institutional investors listed for sale more than doubled between February and July 2026. The largest single-family rental operators — including Progress Residential, Invitation Homes, AMH, and Tricon — were net sellers through much of the year, driven in part by a new federal law restricting future institutional purchases of single-family homes.

When both ends of the rental ownership spectrum — individual landlords and the largest institutional players — are net sellers at the same time, it’s a meaningful signal about where the economics of single-family rental ownership currently stand.

What This Means If You’re a Maryland Landlord

Maryland landlords face some state-specific pressure points on top of the national trends. Maryland homeowners saw an average property tax increase of 11.6% year-over-year, one of the steeper state-level jumps in the country, according to CBS News reporting on ATTOM data. Combined with rising insurance costs and Maryland’s landlord-tenant compliance requirements, the math on holding a rental long-term has gotten noticeably tighter for many owners.

If you’re evaluating whether to keep a Maryland rental property or sell, it’s worth running the actual numbers — current rent minus current expenses (mortgage, taxes, insurance, maintenance, management, vacancy) — rather than relying on what the math looked like when you first bought the property.

Renovate and Re-Rent, or Sell As-Is?

If a rental needs work between tenants — or a current tenant has left it in poor condition — landlords generally face two paths:

• Renovate and re-rent, which requires upfront capital, time with the unit vacant and not generating income, and confidence that the local rental market supports a rent increase large enough to justify the investment.
• Sell as-is, which avoids the renovation cost and vacancy period entirely, trading some potential resale value for a faster, more predictable exit.

For landlords who are managing this alongside a full-time job, an out-of-state move, or simply fatigue with the day-to-day demands of being a landlord, selling as-is is often the more realistic option, even if it means leaving some upside on the table.

Steps to Sell a Rental Property With Tenants

1. Review your lease terms. Whether you can sell with tenants in place, or need to wait until a lease ends, depends on your lease and Maryland’s landlord-tenant rules.
2. Decide whether to sell occupied or vacant. Selling to an investor buyer with tenants in place is often straightforward; selling to an owner-occupant buyer typically requires the unit to be vacant.
3. Get a clear picture of the property’s condition and any deferred maintenance that’s built up.
4. Choose your sale path — list traditionally, sell to another investor, or sell directly to a cash buyer.
5. Handle security deposits and tenant notifications according to Maryland’s specific requirements.
6. Close and exit — a direct cash sale can often close in as little as 7 days once terms are set.

How a Cash Sale Simplifies Exiting a Rental

For landlords ready to exit, a direct cash sale removes several of the complications specific to rental property transactions:

• We can often purchase with tenants still in place, avoiding the income gap and hassle of an eviction or lease-end wait.
• No repairs required, regardless of the property’s current condition after years of tenant turnover.
• No financing contingency, since most conventional buyers have a harder time financing a tenant-occupied property.
• A defined closing timeline, useful if you’re managing this exit alongside other properties or a broader portfolio decision.

Ready to Exit a Rental Property?

Executive Pro Home Buyers buys rental properties as-is, tenants and all, across all nine of our service states — Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Arizona, and Pennsylvania. As cash home buyers Maryland landlords trust for a fast, no-obligation exit, we provide a fair cash offer, often within 24–48 hours.

Get My Cash Offer → | Call 443-830-3677

Executive Pro Home Buyers is also online at executiveprohomebuyers.com — same company, same team, same no-obligation cash offer process.

Frequently Asked Questions About Selling a Rental Property

Can I sell my rental property while it still has tenants in it? Often, yes, particularly to an investor buyer. Whether you can sell with tenants in place depends on your lease terms and Maryland’s landlord-tenant law. A direct cash buyer can frequently purchase occupied properties, avoiding the income gap of waiting for a vacancy.

Why are so many landlords selling right now? Rising costs — insurance, property taxes, maintenance, and financing — have compressed rental margins nationally. Census data shows individual investors’ share of one-unit rentals has fallen from 70.9% in 2021 to 59.6% today, and a 2026 survey found 74.4% of independent landlords reported rising costs.

Are large institutional landlords selling too, or just small owners? Both. Data from real estate analytics firm Parcl, reported by CNBC, shows the largest single-family rental operators were net sellers through much of 2026, partly in response to a new federal law restricting future institutional home purchases.

Do I have to fix up my rental before selling it? No, not if you sell directly to a cash buyer. A direct sale can proceed with the property in its current, as-rented condition, without requiring repairs or a vacant unit.

How fast can I sell my Maryland rental property for cash? Executive Pro Home Buyers can typically close in as little as 7 days once terms are agreed, whether the property is vacant or currently tenant-occupied.

This article provides general information and is not legal or financial advice. For guidance on lease terms, tenant notifications, or your specific tax situation, consult a licensed real estate attorney or CPA.