Figures show single-property investors dominate PRS

The UK's private rented housing stock is dominated by landlords who own just a single property each according to research by Countrywide.

Over 93 per cent of landlords in the UK have just a single property and together they account for over four fifths of all privately rented stock, according to the research based on the firm's database of more than 65,000 rental properties.

There is no significant variation throughout England, Scotland and Wales, with single property landlords accounting for between 78 per cent and 83 per cent of all private rented properties.

The government has extended its Build to Rent fund to £1 billion and this is eventually expected to add 6,500 homes to the private rented sector. But this will add up to only 0.2 per cent of stock, meaning institutional landlords will remain small players in the sector.

Just 0.7 per cent of landlords have portfolios of more than five properties, providing only 6.7 per cent of privately rented housing stock in the UK.

Meanwhile other data from Countrywide shows that average monthly rents in the UK increased three per cent to the end of March. But throughout much of the country, average monthly rents increased at or below the rate of inflation.