Landlords are exiting the lettings market at the highest rates for at least 10 years.
Figures from respected property consultancy TwentyCi show 562 properties per day are leaving the private rental sector in Q3 of 2026 so far.
That’s a total of 44,000 at the time of writing.
At this point last year, the daily rate was 495.
And at the start of the decade, this number was only 167 per day.
However despite this, stock in the sector is actually rising marginally, because the numbers of properties newly available to let are significantly higher than lets agreed, with Build To Rent stock increasing disproportionately.
Available stock for renters has increased by 1.3% on average in the last year following years of decline.
In the £800-£1,500pm bracket, growth has been 7% year on year, but stock reductions were seen in higher price bands – down 1.1% in the £1,500-£3,000pm bracket and down 6.5% in the £3,000+pm bracket.
Available stock has increased in 10 out of 13 regions. Wales has the highest increase at 15.2%, while Yorkshire and Inner London have each seen a decrease of 5.3%.
In the year to date, the supply of properties to let in the UK has risen by 118,100 (13.6%) compared with this time last year, its highest point in seven years.
This increase applies to all price brackets, with the strongest growth in supply observed at the £0-£800pm and £800-£1,500pm price ranges (14.5% and 16% respectively).
Supply is also rising in every region of the UK with the exception of Northern Ireland.
Wales observed the largest increase at 26.8% year on year, while Inner London observed the smallest increase at 8.8%.
Demand, or lets agreed, is 3.3% higher than in 2025 and at the highest level in 7 years.
Growth in demand is strongest in the £0-£800pm range, at 5.4% year on year, closely followed by the £800-£1,500pm price band at 5.2%.
On a regional basis, growth in demand is strongest in Wales; lets agreed in 2026 are 12.3% higher than in 2025. In Inner London, lets agreed are down 2%.
Prices are static
Prices have remained flat and affordability issues remain; the average let agreed price is £1,475pm, an increase of just £4pm in the last year.
Prices have risen in the north, but are static elsewhere. The North West has the largest year on year price inflation at 5.7%, while the East is the only region with a price reduction, at 0.6%.
Colin Bradshaw, CEO of TwentyCi, says: “The fallout from the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act shows no sign of abating.
“Landlords continue to abandon the buy-to-let market in droves because regulatory and economic pressures mean business is no longer viable. What is really interesting is that despite this huge shift, stock availability for renters is actually rising.
“The Build To Rent sector is delivering new homes to rent at volume, and other factors are likely playing a part too.
“For example, larger, professional landlords who can weather the storm better will be looking for investment opportunities and restructuring their portfolios, and with fixed term tenancies abolished under the Act, existing properties are re-entering the market more frequently as tenants move on more quickly.”
