With Renters’ Rights reform piling fresh pressure on the private rented sector, Moving Compared is warning that renters trying to get on the ladder risk being funnelled into the rental sector’s leftovers as landlords look to sell up.
With approximately 93,000 landlords exiting the private rented sector, leading to ex-rental properties making up 15% of all listed homes in the UK, it may feel that the increased stock in the market shows a positive sign for buyers, but the reality is far less attractive. For many priced-out renters, the homes that finally come within reach may be older, tired buy-to-let properties that have been lived in by multiple tenants, patched up between lets and cleared quickly for sale.
These homes can come with years of wear and tear, reactive repairs, ageing appliances, missing paperwork, unwanted contents and unclear fixtures and fittings. That means renters who have spent years trying to escape the rental market could end up buying the very properties landlords no longer want, only to inherit the clean-up bill once the keys change hands.
Moving Compared says disputes over what has been left in a former rental are not minor admin issues.
They can delay completion, create unexpected moving costs and leave buyers paying to remove or repair things they never agreed to inherit. For buyers, the message is simple: an ex-rental home should be treated as a property with a history, not just a listing.
The price may look attractive, but purchasers need to make sure the condition has been independently checked, the fixtures and contents are clear, and they know exactly what they are taking on before completion day.
