If you're a landlord, you already know that stamp duty hits you harder than anyone else. The 5% additional property surcharge, introduced in April 2016, means you pay significantly more SDLT on every purchase than an owner-occupier buying the same property.
But there's a flip side: the higher your SDLT bill, the more you can potentially claim back. Landlords have access to the same chattels deduction as any other buyer — and because you're paying higher marginal rates, every pound of chattel value is worth more to you.
Why landlords pay more SDLT
The 5% additional property surcharge applies to any residential property purchase where you already own another property (and aren't replacing your main residence). For landlords, this applies to every BTL purchase. Here's how it compares:
| Property price | Standard SDLT | With 5% surcharge | Extra paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| £300,000 | £2,500 | £17,500 | £15,000 |
| £500,000 | £12,500 | £37,500 | £25,000 |
| £750,000 | £25,000 | £62,500 | £37,500 |
That surcharge is painful — but it also means chattels deductions are worth more per pound, because the marginal rate on the chattel portion is higher.
Type 1: Chattels refund
This is the most common SDLT refund for landlords, and it works the same way as for any other buyer. If moveable items (chattels) were included in the purchase price, their value should be deducted from the chargeable consideration before calculating SDLT.
Landlords often have higher chattel values than owner-occupiers, especially when buying:
- Furnished buy-to-lets — properties sold with beds, sofas, dining sets, wardrobes, and all the furnishings needed for a furnished tenancy
- HMOs — houses in multiple occupation with each bedroom fully furnished plus common areas equipped with kitchen appliances, sofas, and dining furniture
- Student lets — typically sold with complete furniture packages in every room
- Holiday lets — fully equipped with everything from cutlery to bed linen
Example
A furnished 3-bed BTL property bought for £400,000 might include £12,000-£18,000 of chattels — beds, wardrobes, sofas, dining furniture, white goods, carpets, curtains, and light fittings. With the 5% surcharge, the effective marginal rate is 10% (5% standard + 5% surcharge), making the refund worth £1,200-£1,800.
Type 2: Replacement main residence
This is a refund of the entire 5% surcharge, not just a chattels deduction — and it can be worth tens of thousands of pounds. It applies when you bought a new home (paying the surcharge because you still owned your old one) and then sold your previous main residence within 3 years.
Common scenario for landlords: You buy a new home to live in, but you can't sell your old home immediately. You rent it out while waiting for a buyer. Because you owned two properties at the point of purchase, you paid the 5% surcharge on the new one.
Once you sell the old property (within 3 years of buying the new one), you can claim back the full surcharge. For a £500,000 purchase, that's a refund of £25,000.
See our second home surcharge refund guide for the full process.
Type 3: Portfolio landlords — multiple claims
Here's what many portfolio landlords miss: each property purchase within the last 4 years is a separate potential claim. If you bought 5 properties in the last 4 years, you could make 5 separate chattels claims.
The 4-year window is based on the effective date of each individual transaction, not your first purchase. So if you bought properties in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all three are still within the claim window — and each can be assessed for chattels.
Portfolio example
A landlord with 4 furnished BTL properties bought between 2023-2025, averaging £350,000 each with £10,000 in chattels per property. Total chattels across the portfolio: £40,000. Total potential refund: approximately £4,000 (at the combined 10% marginal rate with surcharge).
Type 4: Multiple dwellings relief (abolished)
Multiple Dwellings Relief (MDR) was abolished for transactions completing on or after 1 June 2024. If you completed a purchase before that date and your transaction involved multiple dwellings (for example, a house with a self-contained annexe, or a block of flats purchased together), you may still be able to claim MDR retrospectively.
MDR claims can be very valuable — sometimes worth tens of thousands of pounds. But they're also complex and typically require professional advice. If you bought a property with an annexe or multiple units before June 2024, it's worth checking whether MDR applies.
HMO landlords: the biggest opportunity
HMO properties represent the biggest chattel refund opportunity of any property type. A typical HMO is heavily furnished — each bedroom needs a bed, mattress, wardrobe, desk, chair, curtains, and carpet. Common areas need sofas, tables, kitchen appliances, and laundry equipment.
Chattel values in an HMO can be substantial:
| HMO size | Typical chattels | Potential refund |
|---|---|---|
| 5-bed HMO | £12,000-£18,000 | £1,200-£1,800 |
| 7-bed HMO | £18,000-£25,000 | £1,800-£2,500 |
| 10+ bed HMO | £25,000-£35,000 | £2,500-£3,500 |
Refund estimates based on 10% effective marginal rate (5% standard + 5% additional property surcharge).
If you own multiple HMOs purchased within the last 4 years, the combined refund can be very significant. This is one area where professional help almost always pays for itself.
How to start claiming
For each property you've purchased in the last 4 years:
- Check the TA10 form — your solicitor should have a copy showing which items were included in the sale. See our TA10 guide
- List all chattels — carpets, curtains, white goods, furniture, garden items, light fittings
- Value them at second-hand prices — not replacement cost
- Use our refund estimator to calculate the potential saving for each property
For portfolio landlords with multiple properties, a specialist will handle all claims together and typically achieve higher valuations through professional RICS surveys.
Check every property you've bought
Run each property through our refund estimator to see the total you could claim across your portfolio.