Almost 850,000 properties have left the private rented sector across the UK in the last decade – that’s around one in six rental properties.
This is according to property industry consultancy TwentyEA.
The consultancy says the timing of this stock loss is significant because more rental homes were sold as the Renters Rights Act moved closer.
The legislation became law last year, with most of the rules coming into force in May this year, while the highest volume of former rental properties were sold in 2025, almost 181,000.
But it adds that despite landlords continuing to exit the sector, rental supply has actually reached its highest level in seven years, rising by more than 17% so far in 2026 versus 2025.
It’s now at its largest point for seven years, and some of this at least is down to Build To Rent.
In Q2 2026, property listings for these properties were 22% higher than in Q2 2025 which helps explain how rental supply can rise while more traditional landlords leave the market.
Nick Huntley, director of TwentyEA, says:“While it’s encouraging to see rental supply reach a seven-year high, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Many letting agents are still feeling the effects of landlords leaving the traditional PRS, reducing the stock they have available to market.
“The growth in purpose-built rental housing is helping to bring new homes into the sector, which is positive news for renters, but it complements rather than replaces the role of private landlords.
“The healthiest rental market is one where both parts of the sector are thriving and overall supply continues to grow.”
To examine the effects and trends of the Renters Rights Act two months on, TwentyEA analysed instruction prices.
It found Wales and the Midlands experienced the highest price inflation, with Scotland, Inner London and the South East seeing more modest rises.
The East of England saw the largest price deflation, at 7.7% year-on-year, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at 4%.
The impact of the Act on rents was always expected to be mixed. While tighter controls on rent increases and the ban on rental bidding were expected to ease upward pressure on rents, landlords facing higher compliance costs and greater restrictions may instead have increased initial asking rents.
These competing forces help explain why rental price trends have varied so significantly across different regions.
| Scotland | 1.9% |
| North East | -1.6% |
| North West | -2.4% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | – 4.0% |
| East Midlands | 4.3% |
| West Midlands | 6.8% |
| Wales | 13.9% |
| East of England | – 7.7% |
| Outer London | – 2.3% |
| Inner London | 0.4% |
| South East | 1.0% |
| South West | -0.4% |
Source: TwentyEA
You can download the TwentyEA Property & Homemover Report here.
