Private landlord giant Grainger says Build To Rent is behind its strong financial performance. 

In a trading statement to shareholders about the four months ended January 31, it says demand and occupancy continue to perform well.

It reported rental income growth of 3.1% including 2.8% across its private rented sector portfolio and 6.2% in regulated tenancies.

It says occupancy is 96%. 

The FTSE 250-listed firm says the gap between demand and supply in the private rental sector continues to grow as individual landlords quit.

Chief executive Helen Gordon says: “We continue to see strong demand for our product, with our latest London Build To Rent scheme, Seraphina, being fully let in less than four months.

“Our outlook is strong and positive, with market-leading earnings growth to come and a proven ability to deliver sustainable rental growth and high occupancy, driven by our leading operational platform.”