‘BTR is the answer to suburban Britain’s drastic rental property shortage’

The suburban build-to-rent sector (BTR) is on track to become the saviour of the PRS, according to the boss of a leading property services firm.

Andy Jones, group director at Leaders Romans Group, says a healthy pipeline of new BTR properties has the potential to address the drastic shortage of rental properties.

He points to British Property Federation research which shows a 15% increase in BTR homes either in planning, under construction or completed between Q3 2021 and Q3 2022, up from 209,313 to 240,202.

“The current state of the lettings market is causing considerable concern, especially as the number of people being made homeless is increasing in the run-up to Christmas,” says Jones.

“This has been compounded by many amateur landlords withdrawing from the market due to increasingly stringent regulations.

“The government has frequently asserted a desire to shrink the private rented sector and get more people owning their own home, but the housing crisis cannot be achieved by penalising the already stretched PRS.”

He believes suburban BTR particularly will provide the solution the market desperately needs.

Stress-free

“It provides desirable rental properties in attractive, well-serviced communities, offering growing families considerable flexibility and a wide range of options for a stress-free lifestyle,” says Jones.

A BTR suburban community typically offers 24-7 security, all-inclusive bills, extensive facilities, and a range of additional services such as cleaning, gardening and even dog-walking. Some are powered by district heating systems, using clean, renewable energy.

Read more about build to rent.

“This is undoubtedly the division of the property sector in which we will see the greatest growth over the next decade,” he adds.

The number of BTR units in the UK is forecast to reach more than 380,000 in the next ten years, with most being built outside major cities.