Average cost of rental void period rises by 58% – Rushbrook
Landlords lost an estimated £1,097 in rental income during the average void period in 2026, up from £696 in 2023.
The average cost of a rental void in England has increased by almost 58% over the past three years, according to research from Rushbrook.
Landlords lost an estimated £1,097 in rental income during the average void period in 2026, up from £696 in 2023.
The average length of a void also increased from 17.5 days to 23.2 days over the same period.
The North East recorded the largest increase in void costs, rising 92.4% from £318 in 2023 to £612 in 2026.
This was followed by the West Midlands, where costs increased 62.5% to £859, and London, where they rose 61.9% to £1,357.
London had the highest average void cost in cash terms, while the South East recorded an increase of 60.1% to £1,053.
Average void periods across England stood at 18 days in 2022, falling slightly to 17.5 days in 2023 before increasing to 18.4 days in 2024, 20.3 days in 2025 and 23.2 days in 2026.
Roma Sharma, managing director at Rushbrook, said: “Void periods are an unavoidable reality of owning rental property, but unnecessary void days aren’t, and the financial consequence of those additional days has increased considerably.
“Good management is about planning ahead, identifying what needs doing before a tenancy ends wherever possible and ensuring the right people are ready to act, so that a property isn’t sitting empty simply because the next step hasn’t been organised.”
Sharma added: “For portfolio landlords in particular, those additional days can quickly add up across multiple properties, so minimising avoidable void periods is an important part of protecting rental income.”
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