Build to rent

Build to rent (BtR) refers to residential developments that are purpose-built and professionally managed for renting, usually by institutional investors or large companies rather than small landlords. Homes are designed, financed and operated from the outset as long-term rental stock, often in larger blocks or schemes with on-site management, amenities and longer tenancies.

BtR is a business model as much as a property type. Rental income comes from scale, stable occupancy and professional management standards, rather than capital gains on individual sales. Operators typically offer flexible, longer tenancies, clear rent-review mechanisms, and a branded service package. For example, onsite staff, repairs, communal spaces and sometimes utilities or broadband.

Under the Renters’ Rights Act, BtR landlords are subject to the same core duties as other private landlords, including fitness for human habitation, reformed possession grounds, deposit and fee rules, and mandatory redress, ombudsman membership, but are expected to lead on compliance, transparency and rental standards because of their size and visibility.

For smaller landlords, BtR is both a competitor, particularly in city centres and a benchmark. Regulators, tenants and ombudsmen increasingly treat BtR-style professionalism as the norm the wider private rented sector (PRS) should move towards.