The Build to Rent sector has long been seen as one of the rising stars of the UK real estate market. We still have a national shortage of housing and there is a growing demand for high quality homes to rent.
I was therefore interested to read this article in Property Week which sets out neatly how the Covid-19 pandemic is likely to impact the Build to Rent sector in the UK.
Live projects are likely to stall as construction sites close during the pandemic and some investors may need to support their customers with issues around rental payments in the short term.
It will also be interesting to see if any Build to Rent sites in the planning stage are redesigned to allow for more "home working" as the new normal settles down.
However, the general view is that in the long term there will still be a need for a high quality rental market in the UK and, Covid-19 aside, the macro position on the UK housing shortage has not changed. A sustainable Build to Rent market will not solve our housing crisis but it will certainly help.
BTR is in for a bumpy ride in the next few months, unlike others, it should be able to recover its momentum pretty quickly