The NRLA says there is an increase of nearly 20% in the number of tenants at risk of homelessness as landlords sell up.
Accelerating numbers of landlords selling up has been putting more tenants ‘at risk of being made homeless’, the NRLA has warned.
Households in the PRS threatened with homelessness due to a landlord exodus has increased by almost a fifth since the end of last year. And NRLA says its analysis highlights the need to encourage responsible landlords to stay in the market.
According to government data, between October and December 2024 almost 5,500 private sector rental households in England qualified for council support to prevent homelessness after their landlord decided to sell the property.
The most recent data shows that, between January and March this year, the number had increased 19% to just over 6,500 households, NRLA says.
The figures reveal how selling a property is the single biggest reason for a landlord to end a tenancy, and almost three times the next most common reason.
Ben Beadle, CEO at the NRLA, said for millions of renters across the country, whether a landlord sells a property or not will decide the fate of where they live. Landlords selling homes is disastrous for tenants. Even if properties sold end up back in the rental market, that’s scant comfort for those who have been forced to move as a result.
In the Autumn Budget the Chancellor needs to support responsible private landlords to invest in new decent quality, long term homes to rent that tenants desperately need.”
Recent research from Savills revealed that buy-to-let properties were being sold five times faster than investor purchases.
Savills found a major exodus of rental homes at a time when demand was very high and rents still rising.
Turning empty property into HMOs could help housing shortage
Long-term vacant empty homes in England could provide 5,000 new homes if they were converted into HMOs.
That’s the claim from HMO management platform COHO which says government figures show there are 264,884 long-term vacant dwellings across England – up 1.3% from the previous year.
On a regional level, the North West tops the list with 38,894 empty homes, closely followed by London (38,386) and the South East (35,869). The East of England has seen the sharpest rise, with an 8.2% year-on-year increase bringing the 2024 total to 28,103.
As the new Labour government aims to deliver 370,000 new homes annually, the growing number of unused properties raises urgent questions. COHO argues that returning these homes to the market — particularly as HMOs — offers a fast, cost-effective path toward easing the housing crisis.
In England, HMOs currently account for an estimated 1.8% of all dwelling stock. So, if this same proportion of 1.8% were to be applied to the nation’s long-term vacant dwellings, it means there is the potential to increase England’s HMO stock to the tune of 4,889 properties.
In London, HMOs account for an estimated 3.8% of total dwellings which, when applied to the city’s number of vacant dwellings (38,386) means there is reasonable scope to add 1,473 HMOs.
With the same methodology, Yorkshire & Humber can add 591 HMOs, followed by the South East (568), North West (526), South West (450), and West Midlands (446).
And the true potential could be even greater. These estimates assume only current HMO market shares—yet, as COHO highlights, there is no reason to limit ambitions. Given that each HMO delivers multiple tenancies within a single property, prioritising their development from vacant dwellings could significantly amplify housing supply without needing new builds.