Six in ten tenants in England and Wales say they are renting for longer than they ever planned to, according to new research from Leaders part of LRG, adding to signs that the private rented sector is becoming a longer-term tenure for a growing share of households.
The group’s Spring 2026 Lettings Report found 40 percent of tenants said they had been in the rental market for much longer than expected and another 20 percent said somewhat longer. Just 1 percent said they had since bought a home.
For landlords, the figures matter because they point to a market where tenant demand is not just holding up, but becoming more deeply rooted as affordability pressures keep would-be buyers in rented homes for longer.
Longer stays are becoming normal
LRG said 59 percent of tenants have been in their current home for three years or more, including 23 percent who have stayed for more than a decade. Only 5 percent said they had been in their current property for less than a year.
That suggests the shift to open-ended renting is already well under way before the new tenancy framework beds in. While the private rented sector is now home to more children than adults in some households, this latest report points to the same broad trend from a different angle: renting is lasting longer because buying remains out of reach for many.
LRG linked the trend to rising house prices, affordability strain and tighter mortgage conditions. That lines up with recent LK coverage showing how the affordability squeeze is still feeding rental pressure even when headline market indicators improve.
Tenants are staying, but not always happily
The report found 40 percent of those renting longer than planned said they had accepted it but still hoped to buy one day. Another 23 percent said renting suited them for now. But 32 percent said they felt stuck and frustrated, showing that longer tenancies do not automatically mean greater satisfaction.
Allison Thompson, chief lettings officer at Leaders, part of LRG, said: “Renting for longer is no longer the exception – for a growing number of people it has quietly become the norm. What the data tells us is that most tenants have not chosen this; they have accepted it. And acceptance is not the same as satisfaction.”
She said the 32 percent who feel stuck and frustrated show long-term renting works best when the home, landlord and rent are right, and when tenants feel secure.
What this means for landlords
- If you are reviewing tenancy strategy: longer average stays can support lower voids and steadier income, but they also raise expectations around property standards and service.
- Watch for: a wider split between tenants who are content to stay and those who feel trapped by the cost of buying, because that can shape renewal, arrears and complaint risks.
- Bottom line: landlords who can offer security, realistic rents and consistent management are better placed in a market where renting is lasting longer by necessity rather than choice.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s Children now more likely than adults to live in private rentals, which highlighted how the rental sector is taking on a larger long-term housing role. The latest LRG figures add another sign that landlord demand is being sustained not only by shortage, but by the growing gap between renting and buying.
LRG’s findings sit alongside official data from the Spring 2026 Lettings Report, which argues the private rented sector is increasingly becoming a destination rather than a stepping stone for many households.
Editor’s view
Longer tenancies can be good news for landlords if they come with stable rents, fewer voids and better planning. But this report also shows how much of that stability is being driven by blocked homeownership rather than genuine choice, which means pressure on affordability and standards will stay high.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 4 June 2026
Sources: LRG Spring 2026 Lettings Report, English Housing Survey, ONS house price data
Related reading: Children now more likely than adults to live in private rentals
