Buy-to-let firms become biggest single type of business in UK, data shows

There are 401,000 companies registered as buy-to-let entities in the UK, up fourfold from 2016. Photograph: Johnny Greig/Alamy

Buy-to-let businesses have become the largest single type of business in the UK – with nearly four times as there are fast food takeaways or hairdressers.

There are more companies set up to hold buy-to-let property registered at Companies House than any other type of business, according to research from the estate agent Hamptons.