New data shows that an increasing number of households are at risk of becoming homeless as more landlords sell their homes.
As many as 5,400 households in the private rented sector in England were eligible for council support to prevent homelessness between October and December 2023 because their the landlord has decided to sell the house.
But this figure rose to 7,130 between April and June 2024, according to analysis of government data by the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA).
The organization said this underlines the need to encourage more landlords to stay in the market.
The figures show that the sale of a home is the main reason for a landlord to terminate the lease.
While the Renters’ Rights Bill will extend the time before a landlord can sell a property, the NRLA says more needs to be done to encourage responsible landlords to maintain rental properties.
Government data shows that a third of landlords planned to sell the properties they rented out in the next two years, up from 22%. In contrast, only 7% said they plan to rent new homes in the next two years, compared to 11% in 2021.
But at the same time, the NRLA said, an average of 21 people were looking for every available rental property.
The NRLA is calling on the government to reform the way rental properties are taxed to support and encourage the supply of new, good quality homes into the market.
Ben Beadle, chief executive of the National Residential Landlords Association, said: “Across the country, it is tenants who suffer when landlords decide to sell.
“No change to the rules on when landlords can sell will address the central problem in the rental market, which is a chronic shortage of homes to meet demand.
“What tenants need is more choice. That means encouraging and supporting the vast majority of responsible landlords to stay put and continue to provide decent quality housing.”