Landlords chasing rental arrears of £470m in a single year
The latest research from Propoly - the platform that automates compliance, reduces risk and protects landlords - has revealed that landlords in England deal with more than £470 million worth of rent arrears in a year, with the largest number of tenants in arrears found in London and the North East.
Propoly has analysed the latest available government data on rent arrears in England’s private rented sector* and found that in the year 2024-25, an estimated 210,163 rented households fell into arrears.
The average amount of arrears across the year stood at £2,238, which means the nation’s annual total arrears came to an estimated £470.3m.
Renters in London alone created the largest amount of arrears at £109.5m for the year, while the North West also broke the £100m mark with a total of £103.1m.
This is followed by the South East (£61m), West Midlands (£58.1m), and Yorkshire & Humber (£38m).
The South West accounted for the smallest proportion of national arrears at just under £14m.
National spread of households in rent arrears
Of the 210,163 English households that fell into arrears in 2024-25, the largest proportion were located in London, with the capital accounting for 23.3% of the national total.
The North West placed a close second with 21.9% of the national total, followed by the South East (13%), West Midlands (12.4%), and Yorkshire & Humber (8.1%).
The South West accounted for the smallest number of households with just 3% of England’s total.
Sim Sekhon, Group CEO at Propoly, commented:
“The scale of rental arrears we’re seeing across England is significant, with more than 210,000 households falling behind on their rent in a single year. When this equates to over £470 million in missed payments, it underlines just how exposed landlords can be when tenant finances come under pressure. For many landlords, rental income isn’t simply supplementary, it’s essential to covering mortgage repayments, maintenance costs and wider financial commitments.
It’s been a challenging period for household finances, with higher living costs continuing to stretch budgets, so it’s little surprise that a growing number of tenants are struggling to stay on top of their rent. However, while the pressures may be understandable, the financial impact on landlords can be severe and, in some cases, destabilising.
That’s why protection has never been more important. By integrating rent protection insurance directly into the tenancy process, agents can ensure landlords are safeguarded against missed payments or defaults from day one. The likes of Propoly make it simple to offer landlords one-click access to rent protection as part of a standard service, boosting landlord confidence, strengthening retention rates, and creating additional revenue opportunities for agents, all while reducing exposure to risk.”
Data tables and sources
*Average rent arrears per household sourced from Reposit and Letting Agent Today.
© 2026 News On The Block. All rights reserved.
News on the Block is a trading name of Premier Property Media Ltd.