The Build To Rent model – running into difficulties in the UK and seeking tax and planning assistance from the government – says the concept is nonetheless gaining traction overseas.
Inventory Base, a PropTech firm, claims that the BTR niche is seeing growth across key international markets including the US, Australia, and New Zealand.
Apparently New Zealand recorded the most dramatic expansion, with BTR completions rising 34.5% year-on-year to 1,949 homes by the end of April 2025, despite a population just over half the size of London. In Australia, completions reached 4,878 units in 2024, with a projected 21.5% rise to 5,928 by the end of 2025.
In the US the BTR concept delivered 5,200 new BTR homes last year, taking the national total to 39,000 – a 15.4% rise in one year.
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, operations director at Inventory Base, says: “Build to Rent is reshaping rental markets across continents. The sector’s growth reflects a fundamental shift in how people view renting – no longer as a temporary step, but a lifestyle choice driven by flexibility, convenience, and service quality.”
She adds that Dubai is emerging as the next potential growth hotspot. This is down to what the PropTech firm describes ass a combination of long-term residency reforms, expatriate-driven demand, and proactive government policy is positioning BTR as a key strategic focus for both developers and sovereign-backed investors.
Build To Rent appears to be having problems in the UK.
The head of the Scottish Property Federation wants Build To Rent to get special treatment from that country’s government. Latest analysis from the SPF and Savills has shown a continued decline in the delivery of BTR homes across Scotland.
There’s been a 15% drop the number of units under construction in Q2 2025 when compared to the same period last year. This takes the total number for BtR units under construction down to 2,101 from the prior year figure of 2,472 homes.
Meanwhile some industry groups involved in Build To Rent in the wider UK have recently formed a lobby group after admitting the sector is in crisis.
Completions for new BTR developments continue to outpace start-on-sites for the sixth consecutive quarter and the number of new schemes in planning in the second quarter of this year have dropped 18% since Q1. This brings the pipeline of new homes in planning on a year-to-date basis to what the new lobby group describes as “a disappointingly low 5,000.”
On a more detailed basis, the figures show that while London has experienced a 16% growth in schemes in planning, there has been zero growth across the regions.
