Ex-rental homes could leave buyers facing an unexpected clean-up bill, according to home moving hub Moving Compared, as a growing number of former rental properties enter the sales market.
The warning follows the Renters' Rights Act coming into force on 1 May 2026, which abolished Section 21 and changed how landlords regain possession of a property when they intend to sell.
With 31% of landlords planning to reduce their portfolios, including 16% planning to leave the sector entirely, more ex-rental homes are expected to reach the market in the coming months. Around 93,000 landlords are already exiting the private rented sector, and ex-rental properties now make up 15% of all homes listed for sale in the UK.
That increase in stock might look like good news for buyers on paper, but Moving Compared argues the reality is far less attractive. Renters trying to get on the ladder risk being funnelled towards the properties landlords no longer want, rather than gaining genuinely wider choice.
For many priced-out renters, the only homes within reach may be older, tired buy-to-let properties that have passed through multiple tenancies.
These come with risks that don't always show up in a listing:
- Years of wear and tear and reactive repairs
- Ageing appliances and white goods
- Missing paperwork or unclear ownership history
- Unwanted contents left behind by previous tenants
- Disputed fixtures and fittings
Disputes over what has been left behind in a former rental are not minor admin issues, Moving Compared says. They can delay completion, create unexpected moving costs and leave buyers paying to remove or repair items they never agreed to take on.
The transactions themselves are also becoming slower and less certain. A total of 98,450 UK residential property transactions completed in May 2026, while the average transaction now takes 170 days to complete and more than one in five falls through before reaching that point. That gives buyers less room to absorb surprises once a purchase is already under way.
For buyers, the message from Moving Compared is straightforward: an ex-rental home should be treated as a property with a history, not just another listing.
The price may look attractive, but purchasers need independent checks on condition, clarity on what fixtures and contents are included, and a clear picture of exactly what they are taking on before completion day.
