The value of Private Rental Sector (PRS) stock across England and Wales has soared to a staggering £1,536 trillion since 2019, analysis from Sirius Property Finance has found.

Research by the London-based debt advisory specialists revealed the four-year 30% hike with the overall size of the PRS growing by 2.4% across England, with nearly five million properties now housing tenants.

LISTED

Of the 4.876 million rental homes across England, just 130,272 are currently listed online as available to rent, equating to just 2.7% of all PRS stock.

The South East has driven this growth since 2019 with a 9.1% increase, along with the South West (+7.4%) and the North West (+3.8%). However, the East Midlands (-9.9%), Yorkshire and the Humber (-0.4%) and East of England (-0.3%) have all seen a decline in PRS stock when compared to the pre-pandemic market.

At an estimated £575.7 billion, London remains home to by far the most valuable PRS where total stock value is concerned.

SUSTAINED

Nicholas Christofi, Managing Director of Sirius Property Finance, says: “Despite the government’s sustained attempts to dampen the enthusiasm of buy-to-let investors, the private rental sector has continued to grow in size over the last few years.

This growth has pushed the total value of the sector to a quite remarkable level.”

“This growth, combined with the high rates of house price appreciation seen throughout the pandemic, has pushed the total value of the sector to a quite remarkable level.

“However, previous whisperings of a hike in capital gains tax will remain a worry for those who have benefited from an increase in the value of their buy-to-let portfolio. Should these changes come to fruition in the future, we may well see many landlords scramble for the exit to avoid the government’s latest cash grab.”