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Build-to-rent: is it worth it for investors, renters or developers?

With more people renting for longer, it's easy to see why property sharks are circling. But the long-term outlook is more muddled
Build-to-rent: is it worth it for investors, renters or developers?Published on January 23, 2025

Build-to-rent (BTR) is something of an obsession for the property sector. In fact, if I had a pound for every mention of how attractive it is, I might have left the rental market for the greener pastures of homeownership myself. 

Yet actually investing in new BTR schemes is challenging, given the high construction and financing costs. To some, this suggests those with high return targets might struggle to make the numbers work.   

“Some of those higher returns are getting more difficult to secure,” says Judy Fawcett, real estate partner at Shoosmiths.

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