Landlords return as rental stock lifts in wake of market restrictions easing

May 21, 2020

In the wake of last week’s ease of property market restrictions, the number of rental properties hitting the market surged by as much as +44% in some UK cities as landlords returned and letting agents were able to resume business.

Howsy’s research analysed the number of available rental properties listed across the major portals the day after lockdown restrictions were eased across the UK property market, before comparing this to the number of properties listed in April.

The figures show that across 23 major UK cities, the number of rental properties now available to UK tenants has seen an immediate uplift of 5% on average. This increase has been driven by just seven cities, while the rest have seen further declines in rental stock levels.

The largest increase based on the sheer number of properties has been in London, with an additional 6,838 immediately hitting the portals, an increase of +15%.

In terms of percentage increases, Edinburgh has seen the largest influx with an uplift of +44%.

Cambridge has seen rental stock bolstered by +19%, with Aberdeen (+16%) also registering a double-digit increase.

Glasgow (+6%), Oxford (+5%), and Manchester (+0.2%) have also seen a lift in rental stock levels.

However, other cities are yet to see a knee-jerk market recovery, with Bristol seeing stock levels fall by -22% since April. Bournemouth (-17%) and Plymouth (-17%) have also seen some of the largest declines.

City
Total listings (April 2020)
Total listings (May 2020)
Total listings change
Total listings change (%)
Edinburgh
1,747
2,521
774
44%
Cambridge
679
810
131
19%
Aberdeen
1,084
1,256
173
16%
London
46,621
53,459
6,838
15%
Glasgow
1,591
1,690
100
6%
Oxford
1,385
1,460
76
5%
Manchester
5,149
5,160
11
0.2%
Birmingham
5,216
5,184
-33
-1%
Cardiff
2,642
2,508
-134
-5%
Newcastle
4,020
3,805
-216
-5%
Liverpool
3,393
3,164
-229
-7%
Swansea
1,281
1,188
-93
-7%
Belfast
26
24
-2
-8%
Portsmouth
1,034
943
-92
-9%
Southampton
2,888
2,619
-270
-9%
Nottingham
2,058
1,846
-213
-10%
Sheffield
3,127
2,797
-331
-11%
Leeds
5,794
4,981
-813
-14%
Leicester
2,218
1,906
-312
-14%
Newport
226
193
-34
-15%
Plymouth
1,147
951
-196
-17%
Bournemouth
1,295
1,073
-222
-17%
Bristol
1,887
1,481
-406
-22%
All cities
96503
101013
196
5%
Rental stock figures sourced from Rightmove and Zoopla
Figures compare online rental stock for each city from 1st April 2020 and 13th May 2020

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

UK house prices growing by 2.5% according to Halifax

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark: “This slight dip in house prices will likely have been influenced as a direct consequence to the current state of the global economy. There will always be a need for people to move house regardless of international trading relations; however, many aspiring or current homeowners will no doubt be discouraged…
Read More →
Breaking News

UK house prices dip slightly in May, but market remains steady

Average property price now £296,648 compared to £297,798 last month Annual rate of growth slows to +2.5% from +3.2% in April Overall house prices have remained stable so far this year Northern Ireland continues to lead annual price growth in the UK Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages, Halifax, said: “Average UK house prices fell by…
Read More →
Breaking News

Estate Agent Content

Do you think that your estate agency / property business requires content? Is content marketing still a thing in 2025? Are you concerned if anyone will read your words? Is it worth investing in estate agent content? Businesses with blogs generate 67% more leads than those without. As competition for attention online increases it remains…
Read More →
Breaking News

The cost of voids rises by £200 for England’s landlords

The latest analysis by Dwelly, one of the UK’s leading lettings acquisition and success planning experts, has found that landlords have been hit with a 26% increase in the cost of void periods in the past year, equivalent to lost income of almost £200. Dwelly analysed average void period data from March 2024 and March…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 5/06/25

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Demand Rises for Housing and Infrastructure Projects Rising demand for housing, infrastructure and energy projects across Wales has driven continued growth at Lichfields’ Cardiff office, which this year marks 25 years in the capital. The team of 17 planning professionals is one of the largest…
Read More →
Breaking News

Construction continues to enjoy a season in the sun

Underlying performance is on the rise during Q.2 2025 Today, Glenigan, one of the construction industry’s leading insight experts, releases the June 2025 edition of its Construction Index. The Index focuses on the three months to the end of May 2025, covering all underlying projects, with a total value of £100m or less (unless otherwise…
Read More →