Landlords are losing more in rental income as losses from void periods are 26% higher in 2025 than last year, according to Dwelly.
Last year, England’s average rent was £1,285 per month as of March 2024.
At that point the average void period experienced was 18 days which represented £760m in lost rental income.
In March 2025, the average rent was higher — at £1,386 per month — but the average void period had also increased to 21 days.
This represents lost rental income of £957, an average annual increase of £196.
Landlords in the East Midlands have endured the largest percentage increase with lost income growing by 38.4% on the year, equivalent to an additional cost £183.
Meanwhile, the biggest cash cost increase has been endured by landlords in the West Midlands where a void period cost increase of 33.7% is equivalent to additional lost income of £191.
Even in London, the only region in which the average void period has decreased, the increase in rent values — growing from £2,056 in March 2024 to £2,243 in 2025 — means that the average cost of voids has still increased by 2.3%.
“The rising value of rent is usually a positive for landlords, however, there is a downside when it comes to increasing void periods as the higher the rental income, the greater the amount lost whilst a property lies empty,” said Sam Humphreys, head of M&A at Dwelly.
“So while the average void period may have only crept up by three days over the past year, when this is coupled with a substantial increase in rental values, the result is a substantial pretty hefty loss in rental income.”
