Rental stock drops by more than 15,500 homes since RRA
Rental stock across England fell by more than 15,500 properties in the third quarter of 2026, according to analysis by The Letting Partnership.
The Lettings Partnership said areas saw availability drop by more than 40%, attributing this to the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act.
The number of homes available to rent fell from 127,696 in Q2 to 112,190 in Q3, a quarterly decline of 12.1%.
Chris Mason, chief executive of The Letting Partnership, said: “One of the concerns throughout the build-up to rental reform was that the additional regulatory and compliance burden could deter landlords from remaining within the sector.
“Such a notable reduction in rental stock availability so soon after the act came into force is certainly going to add fuel to those concerns.”
The steepest reduction was recorded in the City of London, where rental stock fell by 42.4%, followed by Bristol at 36%, Merseyside at 30.5% and Greater Manchester at 20.5%.
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Elsewhere, rental availability declined by 19% in both Oxfordshire and the West Midlands, while Greater London recorded an 18% quarterly fall.
Mason added: “As the sector adjusts to life under the Renters’ Rights Act, it’s vital that the systems, processes and client accounting infrastructure sitting behind the industry are capable of keeping pace.”
