Rental availability rises 25%
Rental availability rises 25% in Q4, pointing to slower tenant movement
New analysis from Inventory Base, a leading provider of inspection and compliance technology, reveals that rental availability in England increased by 25% in Q4 2025. While seasonality will have played a role, a 15.4% year-on-year rise suggests a larger-than usual build-up of available homes.
The research shows that, despite widespread concern that the Renter’s Rights Act would prompt landlords to exit the sector and reduce supply, the level of rental stock available in Q4 was up 25% compared to Q3, and 15.4% compared to Q4 2024.
The largest quarterly rental stock increases were recorded in the City of Bristol (74.8%), Leicestershire (67.6%), Tyne & Wear (66.7%), Warwickshire (66.4%), and West Yorkshire (65.2%), while Rutland (61.5%) and Merseyside (60.1%) also saw dramatic growth of over 60%.
London is the only place where stock fell at the end of 2025, with the City of London seeing a decline of -14.1%, while in Greater London, numbers fell by -2.4%.
Sián Hemming-Metcalfe, Operations Director at Inventory Base says:
“The Renters’ Rights Act fundamentally changes the risk profile for private landlords. It makes affordability harder to assess, limits how risk can be managed during a tenancy, and reduces the levers landlords have to protect their assets. That’s why there’s been so much noise about landlords exiting the sector.
What these Q4 figures tell us is that this hasn’t happened yet. Instead, what we’re seeing looks much more like tenant hesitation. Tenants know the reforms are coming and, quite rationally, many are choosing not to move until those protections are firmly in place. When tenants stop moving, homes sit on the market for longer, and available stock builds up, even though the overall number of rental homes hasn’t changed.
That slowdown in tenant movement is likely making life difficult for some landlords and developers right now, including in the build-to-rent space. Properties are available, but demand isn’t clearing them at the usual pace. Add to that the fact that Q4 is traditionally a quieter period for moves, and the picture becomes clearer.
The real test will come as we move closer to implementation and into the summer, when the Act is fully live. Supply may tighten, but landlords tend to be more resilient than the commentary gives them credit for. What’s far less debatable is that operating a rental property is becoming more complex.
From here on in, landlords are going to need to be much more deliberate. Strong compliance, watertight inventories and inspection reports, and clear documentation aren’t optional extras — they’re essential if landlords want to protect income, agents want to avoid disputes, and both want to stay on the right side of a rapidly changing regulatory landscape.”
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