“The Association for Rental Living (ARL) broadly welcomes Homes England’s Strategic Plan 2025-30 and its ambitions to increase and accelerate the delivery of high-quality new homes across England.

“We are however disappointed that there appears no integrated strategy for increasing private rental housing supply as part of a balanced tenure mix, and no explicit reference to Build to Rent, the fastest growing housing tenure in the UK. Nor is there recognition of Build to Rent’s role in the placemaking, stewardship, and long-term management of communities or guidance on partnership models between Homes England and Build to Rent operators. This lack of recognition misses a significant opportunity to ‘pull the BTR lever’, a call that the ARL has been repeatedly making, to aid housing delivery.

“By its very nature, Build to Rent can play a significant role in meeting the Strategic Plan’s objectives, delivering up quality, additional new homes at scale and at pace. Build to Rent already embraces design and build innovation, leading in sustainability, MMC use, and operational efficiency, and Homes England’s standards reinforce the sector’s value proposition.

“Build to Rent relies heavily on institutional capital and a step change in attracting such investment via the National Housing Bank signals a significant opportunity for additional long-term, patient capital for rental-led development, growth in forward-funding and JV structures and financing for large multi-phase regeneration sites, where Build to Rent can be the anchor tenant.

“The ARL does welcome the strategic objective of ensuring homes are safe, secure, and decent, and residents safeguarded, as this aligns with the BTR Alliance Code of Practice & Customer Charter, an ARL-led initiative which sets clear, practical standards for quality, professional Build to Rent. Due to launch in early 2026, the Code of Practice & Customer Charter will provide transparency, accountability, and consistency across the sector, reinforcing the value of Build to Rent in delivering high-quality, professionally managed rental homes with residents at its heart.”

Brendan Geraghty
CEO, Association for Rental Living