Buy-to-rent set to surge, eroding home ownership

The buy-to-rent sector is set to grow from $17bn to $100bn over the next several years, a new report has claimed

The buy-to-rent sector is set to grow from $17bn to $100bn over the next several years, a new report has claimed.

New research from Morgan Stanley has predicted massive growth in the buy-to-rent sector, The LA Times has reported. The research indicates that large companies will buy up properties as rental investments, effectively pushing up home prices and eroding home ownership.

"We expect homeownership to continue to decline for the next few years. While the stock of distressed housing has declined noticeably, it is still sizable enough to meet this growing demand for rentals," Morgan Stanley said in its report.

MPA previously reported that Blackstone Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms, bought more than 30,000 distressed homes over the last few years with a buy-to-rent strategy.