Landlord voids now exceed three weeks in England

Landlords in England now face an average wait of more than three weeks between tenants, with voids lengthening for the third consecutive year.

Each gap leaves an estimated £1,097 hole in rent income, according to research by property management firm Rushbrook.

The average period without a tenant reached 23.2 days in 2026, compared with 17.5 days in 2023.

Rushbrook analysed average void periods and rent values across England to calculate the income lost while properties stand empty between tenancies.

Lost rent increases

The estimated cost of an average void has risen by 57.5% since 2023, when it stood at £696.

London has the highest cash loss in England, at £1,357 between tenancies.

However, the North East recorded the steepest percentage increase over the three years, with costs rising by 92.4% from £318 to £612.

The West Midlands followed on that measure, recording a 62.5% increase to £859.

Delays between tenancies

The firm’s managing director, Roma Sharma, said: “Void periods are an unavoidable reality of owning rental property, but unnecessary void days aren’t, and the financial consequence of those additional days has increased considerably.

“Good management is about planning ahead, identifying what needs doing before a tenancy ends wherever possible and ensuring the right people are ready to act, so that a property isn’t sitting empty simply because the next step hasn’t been organised.”

She added: “For portfolio landlords in particular, those additional days can quickly add up across multiple properties, so minimising avoidable void periods is an important part of protecting rental income.”

Preparing for changeovers

Rushbrook says identifying maintenance requirements before a tenancy ends can help prevent avoidable delays.

Arranging contractors and coordinating the check-out process are also among the steps it highlights to reduce the time a property remains empty.

For portfolio landlords, the firm warns that small delays across several properties can accumulate into a larger loss of income.

The average void period across England rose to 18.4 days in 2024 and 20.3 days in 2025 before reaching this year’s figure.