Big businesses are pouring money into rental housing. Here’s why that’s a cause for concern

When tenants are numbers on a spreadsheet, the risks of something going wrong is clear, argues James Moore

Property for rent: big companies are increasingly keen on the sector (Reuters)

First it was John Lewis, now it’s Lloyds. City fund managers such as Legal & General have been piling in too. The rental housing market is rapidly becoming big business – but is the intervention of these big businesses a good thing?

They, and their advocates, point out that there is a marked shortage of rental property in Britain. There is, in fact, a marked shortage of property, full stop.

We have the capital to come in and meet a clear demand, they say.