Monday morning briefing - 2025 11 10

hammondjon
Nov 10
2 min read

And just like that, it’s Monday again. Hello team, let’s see what happened.

-> @lloyds living has become a top 5 private landlord in the U.K. in the space of 5 years with their investment in a 7,500 strong #sfh portfolio. The FT reported on the weekend that is now a “significant contributor to growth” within the group.

-> There is a growing regional divide in affordability pressures in the private rental sector, with Wales and North East experiencing the greatest pressure, and as reported in @Property Industry Eye the @Property Mark survey suggests an easing of pressure due to rents decreasing (by -5.8%.....) in London and parts of the south.

-> Shares in @Rightmove dropped by circa 28% before recovering to 12.3% down last week as the property group announced a significant investment in to #AI.

-> Positive news in completions as @L&Q and @Barratt Redrow report H1 increases in completions

-> Manchester’s #BTR growth continues as @The JRL Group and its development partner @Central and Urban have been handed a formal decision notice for the new Build to Rent development on Sparkle Street, reports @BTR News. Designed by @SimpsonHaugh Architects, the scheme aims to comprise 359 apartments.

Sparkle Street CGI via Construction Enquirer

-> However Assent, one of the country’s largest building control firms, has ceased trading, placing hundreds of Gateway 2 applications in limbo reports #UrbanLivingNews

-> In #PBSA news Empiric Student Property’s occupancy has slipped to 89% for the 2025-26 academic year, from 95% for the year prior ahead of the buy out by @Unite Students.

-> In reverse, @Dubliv has adopted a hybrid short-stay model in partnership with @Lavanda. The model has delivered 98% occupancy over the course of its first year of operations in their #Dublin property

-> It was a week of conferences, with @National Residential Landlords show, @The Class Foundation and @The association for rental living events all taking place. See our friends @Loft UK or @property marketing strategists for updates on Class (and Loft for the NRL).

It was the 10th ARL Conference, and my 8th. It was also I think the best so far. The content was excellent with the standout panel for me being ‘Sector challenge…..changing attitudes too BTR’ with Brendan Geraghty of The Association for Rental Living, Alexandra Notay, Hon MRTPI of Radix Big Tent Housing Commission, Rebecca Taylor of Long Harbour Ltd, Danielle Bayless of Quintain Limited and Kate Butler of British Property Federation.

But the greatest change was the addition of the Pathways Next Generation conference, brilliantly led by @grace morgan on the day, and with a host of superb new(er) voices.

Congratulations to the team at The ARL, and let’s hope everyone spreads the word.

The conference was in Canary Wharf, which is an opportunity to share an image of Wood Wharf and in particular @Vertus’ 10 George Street, one of my personal favourite BTR developments. (Image via Buildington)