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 – by Inventory Base – shows the rise despite widespread concern that the Renters Rights Act would lead to a reduction in supply.
The largest quarterly rental stock increases were recorded in Bristol (74.8%), Leicestershire (67.6%), Tyne & Wear (66.7%), Warwickshire (66.4%), and West Yorkshire (65.2%).
Rutland (61.5%) and Merseyside (60.1%) also saw 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%.
See what level of rental stock there is in your local area, here.
An Inventory Base spokesperson 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.
“What these Q4 figures tell us is that this [landlord exodus] 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.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today