The prime minister might be calling for closer ties with the EU, but any increase in European workers coming to the UK could tip the balance of an already overstressed rental market, according to analysis from LegalforLandlords.
It found that competition for rental homes has increased from 23.6% in Q2-Q4 2019 before Brexit to 25.5% in Q1–Q3 2026, while the average baseline number of rental listings has dropped 22.9% from an estimated 160,517 before Brexit to 123,797 in 2026.
Rental demand was calculated by measuring rental listings against those that secured a tenant, with demand averaged across the three-month periods.
The company says the imbalance shows the rental sector would be unlikely to be able to accommodate any additional demand arising from changes to migration and employment policy since it already can’t meet existing needs.
Sim Sekhon, group CEO of LegalforLandlords, says that while such additional labour could help Andy Burnham achieve his housebuilding goals, it could harm the rental sector without better government support for landlords.
“Closer ties with Europe could offer real benefits to the UK, particularly for industries such as construction that need access to skilled workers. But we also need to consider the wider housing implications.
“If more people come to the UK to work, they will need somewhere to live. With rental demand already higher than it was before Brexit and the number of available properties significantly lower, we cannot afford to overlook the pressure this could create.”
Instead, he is calling for housing policy to consider the whole picture, including government doing more to incentivise buy-to-let landlords to remain in the sector.
This article is taken from Landlord Today