New data suggests a potential easing of pressure in the UK’s rental market, with an increasing number of landlords expanding their property portfolios and fewer tenants reporting difficulty in paying rent.
A survey conducted by the TDS Charitable Foundation — a body that promotes awareness of housing rights and responsibilities within the private rented sector — reveals that 23% of private landlords in England have acquired additional properties over the past year. This marks an uptick from 19% the previous year and may signal a shift towards improved supply in the sector.
The findings are based on responses from over 2,000 landlords and indicate a modest but noteworthy change in market dynamics. While landlord exits from the market have remained largely unchanged — 14% sold properties compared with 13% the previous year — those who bought homes added an average of 2.5 properties each, up from 2.2. By contrast, departing landlords sold an average of 2.3 properties.
This increase in rental property supply appears to be tempering rent hikes. The proportion of landlords who raised rents in the past year dropped to 56%, down from 61% in the previous year, according to the same TDS survey.
Tenants, particularly students, may be feeling the benefits. A separate survey by the Foundation found that 32% of renters reported struggling to meet rent payments, a decrease from 35% last year. Among full-time students, the number facing affordability issues dropped more sharply, from 45% to 32%.
National data appears to echo these trends. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that annual rent growth slowed to 6.7% in the year to June 2025, down from a peak of 9.1% in March 2024.
However, experts caution against over-optimism. “While cost pressures in the sector might be easing, many tenants are continuing to struggle to afford their rents,” said Steve Harriott, chief executive of TDS Group and trustee of the Charitable Foundation.
Harriott also warned that new legislative measures may have limited impact unless tenants are properly informed. “Measures in the Renters’ Rights Bill to help tenants challenge unreasonable rent increases will count for nothing unless they are equipped with the information… to exercise these rights effectively,” he said. “It’s clear that many low-income tenants are continuing to struggle to cover their rents due to the ongoing freeze on housing benefit rates.”
The data comes at a critical time for policymakers, landlords, and renters alike, as all sides navigate a volatile rental landscape shaped by inflation, interest rates, and shifting regulation.