黑料专区

BusinessLDN, Real Estate:听UK,听the 黑料专区 and听PriceHubble听join forces to call for measures to kickstart听homebuilding听across the city听

Surging construction costs and听long听delays听to听regulatory approvals听have听significantly听hampered the future supply of Build-to-Rent (BtR) properties across the capital, with new interventions needed to听reverse the trend.听听

That鈥檚听according to the听fifth听edition of the听Who Lives in Build-to Rent?听report for London from听BusinessLDN,听Real Estate:听UK,听the Association听for听Rental Living听and听PriceHubble,听which is based on analysis听of more than 12,000听BtR听homes听and听21,000 residents.听听

The听report highlights听how the rising cost of听development, combined with听continued听delays听within听the听three stages of the听Building Safety Regulator (BSR)鈥檚听Gateway regime1,听has听contributed to听the number of听BtR听homes under construction听in听the capital听falling听by听almost a third听over听the past听year. There were 12,134听BtR听homes under construction in London in the first three months of听2026, down from 17,138 in Q1 2025.听It comes against the backdrop of a wider slump in new housing starts听in London, which听听5,550听last year against听an annual target of 88,000.听

BusinessLDN听is calling on City Hall to use its upcoming听听鈥� the听Mayor鈥檚听spatial strategy 鈥� to provide firmer direction to London鈥檚 boroughs to plan for more听BtR听developments in their areas. It should also address a discrepancy in its new听听which sees听BtR听developments excluded from grant funding because of the nature of the affordable housing they offer.听

And听in order to听kickstart the wider market,听听the Government to pause and review implementation of the Building Safety Levy,听due to be introduced from October,听and for the BSR to step up its progress in processing听applications more quickly and efficiently. Latest听听show that the housing sector has already made around 拢6bn worth of听additional听building safety commitments.听听

Stephanie Pollitt, Programme Director for Housing at听BusinessLDN,听said:鈥�鈥�鈥淏uild-to-Rent homes have a crucial role to play in tackling London鈥檚 housing crisis, so a slump in听supply听should听serve as a wake-up call听for听all levels of government.听The听current review of the London Plan听is听a crucial opportunity to听level听the听playing field between for-sale housing developments and build-to-rent projects听excluded from听City Hall鈥檚听new emergency fast-track route.听We also need to see听wider action to kickstart the entire market to accelerate housebuilding across all tenures.鈥�听

The new report finds that close to four in ten (38.8%) of the developments it analyses provide homes at听听and/or听.听Despite this,听BtR听developments are not eligible for听grant funding through听City Hall鈥檚 new fast-track planning听.听听

As such,听BusinessLDN听is听recommending听that the London Plan鈥檚听affordable housing听requirements听for听BtR听developments听are听brought in line with the听thresholds听for those听benefiting听from the听new听fast-track route.听London councils听should also听develop听forward plans听for听BtR听delivery听across their听boroughs.听听听听听

The report highlights continued challenges around getting regulatory approval for听schemes.听Latest government听data听shows a significant improvement in turnaround times for approvals at the听first and听second of听the BSR鈥檚听three 鈥淕ateway鈥� stages, which听must be satisfied before construction听is听allowed to听commence.听BusinessLDN听is听calling on the听Regulator to build on听this progress听to avoid further bottlenecks to delivery at听the third听Gateway, which听is the final approval听required听prior to residents moving听into听new听homes.听听

Looking at other findings in the report,听PriceHubble听aggregated and benchmarked demographic data听covering听40听BtR听schemes across London against comparable data from the wider private rented sector (PRS) to understand whether renters choosing听BtR听differ from the wider rental population. Its findings show that:听听

• BtR听is especially popular among students, with this cohort听representing听32% of renters听across听the听BtR听developments analysed, compared to 9% in the wider PRS. Those working听in听the听finance and professional services industries are well represented among renters choosing听BtR听and the wider PRS (28% and 27% of occupiers respectively), as is the听tech sector (13% and 10%) and the public sector (10% and 13%).听听
• Age demographics of听BtR听occupants听across听the data听set听track the wider rental market very closely:听25-34 is the most common age bracket for occupiers in both听BtR听(51%) and the wider PRS (49%), followed by 16-24 (25% and 24% for听BtR听and PRS respectively) and 35-44 (16% and 17%).听听听听
• The听average monthly听cost of renting a听BtR听property听across听the听developments analysed听aligns听closely with similar-sized听PRS听homes, especially for听one bed flats (拢1,978 and 拢1,884 respectively) and two bed flats (拢2,423 and 拢2,229 respectively).听听听听听听

Brendan Geraghty, CEO of the 黑料专区 (ARL),听said:听鈥淭he Who Lives in Build-to-Rent reports have become established over five years as highlighting trends in BTR living.听This report shows again that BTR delivers quality new homes for rental that meet a range of demographic and affordability needs.鈥澨�听听

Sandra Jones,听Managing Director at听PriceHubble,听said: “We鈥檝e听run this research for听five听years now, comparing 鈥榳ho lives in BTR鈥� with the wider private rental market and it has consistently shown that the BTR sector provides homes for a broad cross-section of renters.听It is neither correct, nor reasonable to assume that it caters exclusively for high income renters.鈥� Add to that, the growing focus amongst investors and providers on meeting the needs of the 鈥榮queezed middle鈥� of renters (key workers and middle earners) – and it is clear that the BTR model has an important role to play in securing London鈥檚 private rental sector.”听

Kate Butler,听Assistant Director of Policy听at听Real Estate:听UK,听蝉补颈诲:鈥�鈥淏uild-to-Rent has a crucial role to play in not only helping London to deliver the new homes the city so desperately needs at a pace and scale, but in providing a rental offer which actively aligns with the overarching need of business to attract and retain a dynamic workforce to support the capital鈥檚 continued economic growth.听听

鈥淗owever, despite the clear benefits to London鈥檚 economy, and its role in solving the capital鈥檚 housing crisis, BTR has continued to face significant delivery headwinds, including viability challenges and regulatory delays. This has been compounded of late by the chilling effect continued speculation around the introduction of rent controls in the private rented sector is having on BTR investor sentiment, and in addition to measures to improve deliverability for BTR, we would urge the government to continue to rule out the introduction of any measures which would further undermine this critical housing tenure.鈥澨�听