Investec Structured Property Finance’s ‘Future Living: How global investors will transform UK beds for rent’ report revealed that this view was held by 91% of investors.

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The report, which included the opinions of over 50 institutional investors, also found that:

• a third of investors have considered increasing activity across ‘beds for rent’ asset classes, and all but PRS could experience a three-fold uplift
• over half of investors (56%) view the retirement living sector as the most appealing asset class over the next 10 years
• political uncertainty and London/rest of UK polarisation were the biggest challenges to growth
   

“The UK beds for rent sector is at a tipping point, which offers a real opportunity for the industry to respond and adapt to long-term structural changes that will help the UK catch up with the US market,” said Mark Bladon, head of living at Investec Structured Property Finance (pictured above).

“For example, ‘generation rent’ don’t see home ownership as a necessary and achievable goal compared with their parents and, therefore, may rent for most of their lives.

“Furthermore, the UK’s ageing population and a shortage of suitable high-quality real estate for the elderly means we can expect to see expansion in the retirement living sector to meet this inevitable demand.”