London keeps build to rent pipeline moving as regional momentum fades, Foxtons finds
Build to rent planning activity is losing momentum outside London, while the capital continues to see growth, according to new analysis from Foxtons.
Foxtons analysis of the latest build to rent planning data shows that while the wider sector is beginning to lose momentum, London continues to push ahead, with the number of schemes in planning up 8.5% year on year.
Foxtons examined Q3 2025 build to rent planning figures, which show that there are currently 106,406 schemes in planning across the UK. Although this total is 2.1% higher than a year ago, the pace of growth has slowed markedly when viewed on a quarterly basis.
During 2024, the total number of build to rent developments in planning grew by an average of 1.9% per quarter. In contrast, 2025 data shows that the average quarterly growth rate has fallen to -1%, indicating a loss of momentum across the sector.
Foxtons said this slowdown is being driven by markets outside the capital. Planning levels across the regions are down 1.4% year on year and declined at an average quarterly rate of -2.9% between Q1 and Q3 2025, compared with average quarterly growth of 1.8% throughout 2024.
London, however, continues to show resilience. Planning activity in the capital is up 8.5% annually, with average quarterly growth of 2.6% during the first three quarters of 2025, an improvement on the 2.4% average quarterly growth recorded across 2024. In Q3 2025 alone, London accounted for 37.2% of all build to rent planning activity nationwide, a share that has been rising steadily since Q2 2024.
Sarah Tonkinson, managing director of Foxtons Institutional PRS and build to rent, said: “The build to rent sector has established itself as a vital component of the UK rental market, but the latest figures suggest that appetite for new development is cooling outside of London.
“But whilst economic headwinds, rising build costs and planning delays have clearly dented activity across regional markets, London continues to buck the trend.
“We’ve seen consistent growth in planning numbers across the capital, reflecting both the strength of rental demand and the long-term confidence investors hold in the London market.
“With affordability pressures persisting in the for-sale sector, build to rent remains one of the few areas where delivery can keep pace with tenant demand, and London is at the forefront of that delivery.”
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