RICS reports that the UK rental market remains under pressure from a shortage of good-quality stock, with landlord instructions staying negative as some landlords reduce portfolios or exit the sector. Tenant demand was broadly flat, while expectations for rent increases remain positive over the next three months.
The article reports a sharp rise in Right to Buy sales in England during 2025-26, alongside a much smaller number of replacement homes being funded through receipts. It says proposed reforms in the Social Housing Bill would lengthen eligibility, protect new social homes from the scheme for 35 years, and exclude certain rural homes, which could prompt more tenants to buy before the changes take effect.
Haringey Council says it is establishing a three-monthly renters’ forum to bring tenants, council officers, community organisations and tenant rights bodies together. The initiative is intended to surface common problems in private rented homes, strengthen enforcement against landlords and increase awareness of renters’ rights and rental rules.
New research indicates a sharp contraction in Build to Rent development, with starts on site falling 79% year on year to June and the steepest decline outside London. The article links the slowdown to viability pressures and policy uncertainty, while noting that completions continue to outpace new starts for a tenth consecutive quarter.
A prime London lettings agent reports that tenant demand is rising, but applicants are becoming more price-sensitive and behaving more like buyers, with competitive homes letting quickly while overpriced stock lingers. The article also suggests that the Renters Rights Act is influencing market behaviour around the £2,000-per-week threshold, where the legislation is said to stop applying.
