The forces driving the move from Private Renting to Build to Rent
- 25th Feb 26
Forget what you think you know about Build to Rent. It’s not simply about luxury living for the wealthy in hotel-style developments with flashy facilities. The reality is a diverse and growing sector focused on delivering quality homes, strong communities and a better renting experience for everyday residents.
The traditional private rented sector is facing several challenges, which means a growing number of renters from a wide range of backgrounds are now discovering the benefits of Build to Rent communities. At Love to Rent, we’ve seen first-hand how this shift is transforming the rental experience, offering residents greater security, convenience and peace of mind.
What’s happening in the rental market
The Government has set ambitious building plans, namely, the delivery of 1.5million homes by 2029. With increased demand for flexible living, demographic shifts and affordability pressures, the rental market plays an important role in this. Whilst the private rental sector (PRS) has grown overall, the shape of the sector itself is changing. According to the Property Reporter, a third of all private landlords (35%) have either sold up (19%) or actively tried to sell (16%) in the last 12 months, largely due to tax changes, economic headwinds and increased regulation.
What’s happening within Build to Rent
Of the £5.3billion invested into Build to Rent in 2025, £3.17billion went into single family housing (SFH), reflecting a shift into what people are searching for. The number of authorities with Build to Rent in their pipeline increased to 213 in Q3 2025 and has remained at this level into Q4 2025, as new, more suburban schemes came forward, with SFH continuing to expand into new markets across the UK.
This is largely due to several key factors including:
- Rise of remote working leading to the need for more space and gardens.
- Investors are keen on the SFH market which results in earlier rental returns as tenants can move in phases.
- A shortage of high-quality rental homes for families in suburban locations has created a gap in the market.
A strong customer experience
Technology is now a part of our everyday lives and, while most of us couldn’t be without it, that’s not to say the human element has lost its value. Instead, service now defines Build to Rent with the personal touch appreciated even more. Research from hereSAY finds that human-led service has overtaken the physical product as the key driver of leasing success in the Build to Rent sector, highlighting the growing importance of meaningful resident engagement, responsive communication and personalised support throughout the rental journey.
Insights from its 2025 Leasing Benchmark Report provides one of the most detailed assessments in the UK rental market. This shift reflects how renters are increasingly prioritising the customer experience, a strength of the Build to Rent model, which is driving its continued growth over traditional private renting. The overall benchmark scores have risen from 70% in 2022 to 78% in 2025, driven by incremental improvements in leasing behaviours rather than upgrades to physical product.
Changing expectations of modern renters
Today’s renters are looking for more than just a place to live. Flexibility, quality, and customer-focused service have become increasingly important, particularly for those balancing busy careers, family life or lifestyle changes.
One of the most noticeable differences residents report when moving from private renting to Build to Rent is the level of professional management. Instead of dealing with individual landlords or third-party letting agents, residents benefit from dedicated on-site management teams whose sole focus is ensuring homes and communities are run smoothly. As well as convenience, this offers peace of mind.
The facts behind the headline
The shift from traditional private renting towards Build to Rent is being fueled by various research findings which show a clear preference among renters towards Build to Rent.
These key findings reflect what renters are increasingly looking for:
- The need for longer tenancies to provide stability, especially for families.
- Many Build to Rent developments don’t just allow pets, they actively welcome them, offering dedicated facilities and communal spaces designed for pets and their owners.
- Amenities that are useful to today’s demographics including co-working spaces and gyms.
- Studies indicate that a strong majority of Build to Rent residents feel they’re “getting more for their money,” even where headline rents may be higher, because of services and amenities included in the rent.
- Build to Rent developments typically include dedicated on‑site management teams, which leads to faster responses to maintenance issues and a more consistent rental experience.
- The human touch is often noted to be felt throughout, with on-site community events to encourage a strong sense of connection and belonging among residents.