The private rental sector is losing properties at its fastest rate since records began in 2016, with 562 homes a day leaving the market during the third quarter so far, according to TwentyEA.

Data from the property market intelligence business, part of the TwentyCi group, shows that 44,000 properties have left the private rental sector during Q3 to date.

The comparable rate at this point last year was 495 properties a day, while at the start of the decade it stood at 167.

Despite the increase in properties leaving the sector, TwentyEA said the overall volume of rental stock has risen slightly because the number of properties becoming newly available to let is significantly higher than the number of lets agreed. It said build-to-rent stock has increased disproportionately.

Available rental stock has increased by an average of 1.3% over the past year following several years of decline.

Stock in the £800 to £1,500 a month rental bracket has risen by 7% year on year. However, availability has fallen by 1.1% for properties priced between £1,500 and £3,000 a month and by 6.5% for those above £3,000.

Available stock has increased in 10 of the 13 regions measured. Wales recorded the largest rise at 15.2%, while Yorkshire and Inner London each saw a 5.3% decline.

SUPPLY REACHES SEVEN-YEAR HIGH

The supply of properties coming to the rental market has risen by 118,100, or 13.6%, in the year to date compared with the same period in 2025, taking it to its highest level in seven years.

Growth was recorded across all rental price brackets, with the largest increases among properties costing up to £800 a month and those priced between £800 and £1,500, where supply rose by 14.5% and 16% respectively.

Supply increased in every UK region except Northern Ireland. Wales recorded the largest annual increase at 26.8%, while Inner London had the smallest rise at 8.8%.

LETS AGREED ALSO RISE

TwentyEA said the number of lets agreed was 3.3% higher than in 2025 and was also at its highest level for seven years.

Growth was strongest in the lowest rental price bands. Lets agreed for properties costing up to £800 a month rose by 5.4% year on year, while those between £800 and £1,500 increased by 5.2%.

Wales recorded the strongest regional growth, with lets agreed up 12.3% compared with 2025. Inner London experienced a 2% fall.

RENTS REMAIN BROADLY FLAT

The average agreed monthly rent was £1,475, an increase of £4 compared with a year earlier.

TwentyEA said rents had increased in northern regions but remained broadly static elsewhere. The North West recorded the strongest annual increase at 5.7%, while the East was the only region to record a fall, with rents down 0.6%.

Colin Bradshaw, chief executive of TwentyCi, said: “The fallout from the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act shows no sign of abating. Landlords continue to abandon the buy-to-let market in droves because regulatory and economic pressures mean business is no longer viable.

“What is really interesting is that despite this huge shift, stock availability for renters is actually rising. The build-to-rent sector is delivering new homes to rent at volume, and other factors are likely playing a part too.

“For example, larger, professional landlords who can weather the storm better will be looking for investment opportunities and restructuring their portfolios, and with fixed term tenancies abolished under the Act, existing properties are re-entering the market more frequently as tenants move on more quickly.”