Rental stock down by up to 42% in Q3
Summary
New analysis from The Letting Partnership indicates that rental stock across England fell by 12.1% in Q3, with more than 15,500 fewer homes available to rent compared with the previous quarter. The sharpest declines were reported in the City of London, Bristol and several other regional markets, with the article linking the drop to the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force on 1 May.
Why it matters
Reduced rental supply can affect valuation assumptions, local market evidence and the availability of comparable lettings data used by surveyors. The article also highlights how regulatory change in the private rented sector may be influencing landlord behaviour and market conditions.
Key points
- England-wide rental stock fell from 127,696 in Q2 2026 to 112,190 in Q3.
- The City of London saw the largest quarterly fall in available rental stock at 42.4%.
- Bristol, Merseyside and Greater Manchester also recorded significant declines in rental availability.
- The article attributes the trend to the Renters’ Rights Act and increased regulatory/compliance burden.
- Concerns are raised that landlord exits could further tighten supply in some areas.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
