Rightmove’s data contradicts claims that rental housing stock levels have been driven down over the past twelve months by landlords’ selling up, as the property portal’s latest research shows there has been an overall 12 per cent rise in available lettings stock across England when comparing Q1 2023 levels to Q1 2024.

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Surprisingly it is London that has seen the biggest boost in number of available rental housing homes in the country.

There has been numerous reported views that renters are experiencing harder times in trying to find available rentable homes, a leading lettings and estate agent states in Q1 this year there were 154,510 available private rental properties throughout the country, which is 12 per cent higher than 2023’s Q1 figures; however an agents’ association has claimed that PRS housing levels have fallen by 26 per cent this year.

The agent says 33 of the nation’s 48 counties have had an uplift in the number of PRS homes in the market. London had the biggest boost to rental housing levels, as the City of London ‘enjoyed’ an annual increase of 44 per cent whilst Greater London saw a 34 per cent rise in properties.

Away from the capital the highest rental market listings were in Nottinghamshire with a 28 per cent increase in the same twelve month period, Northamptonshire at 19 per cent, Berkshire - 18 per cent, Dorset - 16 per cent and Warwickshire – 15 per cent saw big gains.

However the areas that suffered major falls in rental housing stock levels included Leicestershire fell by 17 per cent, the West Midlands down by 11 per cent and Cheshire fell by 9 per cent.

The agent’s director says the capital’s private rental market is as always highly competitive with a seismic demand from desperate tenants looking to view and apply for available ‘homes’. However he warns that although a boost in rental stock will always be welcomed by potential tenants looking to move it is highly unlikely to make a dent on the supply demand imbalance.