News from 8 May 2026
England’s planning guidance for build-to-rent schemes was updated on 8 May 2026. The revision concerns affordable private rent within these developments. It does not require ordinary small landlords to provide discounted rent under this scheme.
What the updated guidance says
The guidance keeps the benchmark that 20% is generally a suitable level of affordable private rent homes in a build to rent scheme, unless a local authority justifies a different approach through evidence in its local plan or a developer makes a viability case. It also says national affordable housing policy requires a minimum 20% rent discount for affordable private rent homes compared with local market rents.
The revised paragraph adds detail on when the discount should be calculated. It says the discount should be worked out when a tenancy for the discounted home is granted, or when the rent is reviewed using the section 13 process. The rent on the discounted homes should then increase on the same basis as rent increases for market-rate tenancies within the development.
The calculation is linked to the rent-setting process within the development. It also points readers to the government’s rent increases guidance, which many ordinary landlords will already recognise from wider tenancy management.
