Finding a rented home ‘easier than it has been for six years’ despite landlord exodus fears

Renters in the UK are facing the lowest levels of competition in six years ahead of the Renters’ Rights Act’s no-fault evictions ban in May.  

Zoopla said competition for properties has eased as demand has fallen by 14% over the last year and the number of homes available for rent has increased by 11% over the same period.

Tenants have seen private rents hit record-highs in recent years, facing increases above inflation and wage growth.

But Zoopla said rental growth had slowed to 1.9%, down from 2.8% last year, with prices hitting the limits of what renters can afford and improved supply behind the falling rises.

The property portal’s analysis comes as Labour’s Renters’ Rights Act is set to take effect in May, abolishing no-fault evictions. The new regulations have led to warnings from landlord lobby groups that property owners may look to exit the private rented sector, leading to fewer homes and higher rents.

Nye Jones, head of campaign at Generation Rent, told Big Issue: “Landlord groups have continually warned that basic changes in the law to give renters more security in our homes will see a major fall in the number of homes available to rent.  

“Clearly this has not come to pass and any future warnings from landlord groups must be taken with a large pinch of salt.”

The rental market is becoming more balanced after a peak in competition for rented homes in 2022 and 2023, Zoopla found. 

Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “Market conditions for renters are the best they have been for six years.  

“The rental market is moving back towards balance as demand cools and more homes become available to rent.  

“Renters are facing less competition for homes and slower rent increases than in recent years. Localised changes in demand and supply are resulting in rents falling in some cities, but this will be only a short-lived trend. 

“However, supply remains well below pre-pandemic levels, which means increasing the number of rental homes remains key to improving affordability for the UK renters over the long term.” 

Improving conditions in the mortgage market for first-time buyers and a decline in migration into the UK for work and study also drove lower demand for rented homes, Zoopla said.

The latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates reveal net migration into the UK peaked at 944,000 people in the year to March 2023 and this has slowed to 204,000 in the year to June 2025.  

Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, representing property agents, said: “The rental market continues to bring challenges that are tightly aligned to both fundamental economic pressures and new influence from updated legislation.  

“We are witnessing some of the biggest changes in well over 30 years, with the introduction of additional consumer protections, plus a modified taxation framework for landlords.” 

The changing dynamics of supply and demand also mean that homes are taking longer to rent, on average finding a tenant now takes 20 days a week longer than 2022’s peak of 13 days.  

For renters, this provides more choice of properties and more room for negotiation.

Read more:

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• Reform plans to rip up Renters’ Rights Act after tenants wait years for no-fault evictions ban
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Gary Howorth, regional sales director at Chestertons letting agents, said: “More first-time buyers have taken the step towards home ownership this year.  

“In some parts of the UK, including some areas of London, this has weakened demand for rental properties.  

“Remaining tenants looking to move now benefit from a larger pool of properties to choose from but we will likely see the market turn and demand go up again as we enter spring; a particularly busy time for tenants looking to move.” 

According to the ONS, on average renters in England spend 36% of their income on rent, the two areas with the largest percentages are Bristol with 45% and London 42%. 

While tenants are experiencing less pressure due to a decrease in competition, it’s clear that financial struggles due to high prices of rent still remain.

“While the speed at which rents are rising is slowing, many renters across the country are still spending huge percentages of their income on rent,” said Generation Rent’s Jones.

“High rents lock people into poverty and trap people in homelessness.  

“The government must act through giving mayors the power to limit rent increases in their areas.”

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