Landlords are exiting the private rented sector at a record rate, with 562 properties a day leaving the market during the third quarter so far, according to new TwentyEA data.

Around 44,000 properties have left the sector during the period, the property data firm said. That compares with 495 a day at the same point last year and just 167 a day at the start of the decade.

However, the headline figures mask a more complicated picture for letting agents.

Despite the number of landlord exits, the overall stock available to renters has actually increased by 1.3% over the past year.

TwentyEA said the number of properties newly coming to market is significantly higher than the number of lets agreed. It also pointed to growth in build-to-rent stock as a factor.

The increase in available properties follows several years of declining rental stock.

However, the picture varies significantly by price bracket.

Available stock between £800 and £1,500 a month has increased by 7% year-on-year.

By contrast, supply between £1,500 and £3,000 a month has fallen by 1.1%. Stock above £3,000 a month is down 6.5%.

Ten of the 13 regions analysed recorded an increase in available stock.

Wales recorded the largest rise at 15.2%. Yorkshire and Inner London both saw stock fall by 5.3%.

New rental supply jumps

The flow of new properties coming onto the rental market has also increased sharply.

TwentyEA said 118,100 more properties have come to market so far this year compared with the same period in 2025. That represents a 13.6% increase and the highest level for seven years.

Supply increased across every rental price bracket.

The strongest growth came below £1,500 a month. New supply below £800 increased by 14.5%, while the £800 to £1,500 bracket rose by 16%.

All regions except Northern Ireland recorded an increase.

Wales again led the market, with new rental supply up 26.8%. Inner London recorded the smallest increase at 8.8%.

Lets agreed also increase

Rental activity has also strengthened, although at a much slower rate than supply.

Lets agreed are 3.3% higher than in 2025 and have reached their highest level for seven years.

Activity increased by 5.4% for properties below £800 a month. The £800 to £1,500 bracket recorded growth of 5.2%.

Wales saw the strongest regional increase, with lets agreed up 12.3%.

Inner London moved in the opposite direction, with agreed lets falling by 2%.

Rents remain broadly flat

Despite changes in supply and demand, average agreed rents have barely moved.

The average let agreed price now stands at £1,475 a month. That is just £4 higher than a year ago.

The North West recorded the strongest annual rental growth at 5.7%.

The East was the only region to record a fall, with average rents down 0.6%.

Colin Bradshaw, CEO of TwentyCi, said: “Landlords continue to abandon the buy-to-let market in droves because regulatory and economic pressures mean business is no longer viable.

“What is really interesting is that despite this huge shift, stock availability for renters is actually rising.”

He added that build-to-rent was contributing new rental stock, while larger professional landlords may also be restructuring and expanding their portfolios.

For letting agents, the figures point to an increasingly fragmented market. Landlord exits are running at record levels, yet new supply is outpacing growth in lets agreed and overall availability is edging higher.