Two large housing associations have sold their market rent portfolios

In late August, Notting Hill Genesis identified Kennedy Wilson as the preferred party to purchase its 2,079-home private rental business.  It was reported that the firm had entered exclusivity with the housing association, with a due diligence process about to start.  The deal was reportedly worth £750million, with housing association Hyde among the unsuccessful bidders.

In June L&Q completed the sale of its Metra Living subsidiary for just over £1billion.  In its trading update for the first quarter of 2026/27, the association revealed that it had booked a £233million loss on this sale.  However, the transaction reduced its debt by around £1billion to £4.2billion and will significantly reduce future interest costs.  The disposal was part of L&Q’s long-term strategy to simplify its operations to focus on its core social housing stock.