Residential for Rent

For many years there has been a
structural undersupply of housing in the UK,
with insufficient development despite strong demand.

At the same time the number of private renters has grown, and continues to grow, overtaking social rent to become the second largest housing tenure. The demand-supply imbalance dynamic creates the opportunity for Moorfield to be at the forefront of the professional residential-for-rent investment sector as it matures from its current emerging status into a mainstream institutional asset class.

Through our asset and operational management expertise, we are able to offer a higher quality of accommodation across both our purpose-built and aggregation strategies than is ordinarily available to renters, thereby creating investments that are attractive to institutional investors.

Moorfield’s Investment Focus:

Build to Rent

Build to Rent (‘BTR’) apartments in city centres, aimed at young professionals, key-workers, graduates and downsizers.

Co-Living

Co-Living in key central locations, aimed at appealing to young professionals and others in search of affordable premium living close to key attractions.

Single Family Homes

Single Family Homes (‘SFH’) for rent in commuter locations, aimed at families.

Houses of Multiple Occupation

Houses of Multiple Occupation (‘HMO’) in university cities or near colleges, teaching hospitals and other educational establishments, aimed at students and key-workers.

Current Portfolio

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SFH Portfolio

In Q2 2021 Moorfield established a joint venture with Bricklane, a technology-enabled sourcing and management platform, to effectively and programmatically originate, acquire, and manage a portfolio of individually acquired existing residential properties for rent, at scale. Technology allows the joint venture to identify attractive target markets and to source higher yielding properties in those target markets that meet the sourcing and investment parameters set by Moorfield to satisfy investment and risk objectives.

The joint venture deploys capital into the inefficient, often unprofessional and dispersed Private Rented Sector (‘PRS’) / Single Family Homes (‘SFH’) for rent market to create value through selective aggregation and to seek to create an institutional quality portfolio. This is conducted in line with Moorfield’s brand standards and customer service focus.

HMO Portfolio

The HMO portfolio is a joint venture with We Are Kin, an existing specialist operator and investor in Houses of Multiple Occupation (‘HMO’).

This joint venture targets the creation of a portfolio of HMOs targeted at students and key-workers and acquired across regional cities. This is an opportunity to capture a significant demand/supply gap in the market for good quality and good value student homes that are well designed and fitted out, tech enabled, and delivered with excellent levels of service and innovation. Most institutional investors have to date focussed on the Purpose Built Student Accommodation (‘PBSA’) market that particularly targets international students. We also believe there is an opportunity to improve the offering for domestic students who typically live in HMOs.

The Apiary, Ealing

Practical completion of The Apiary was achieved in Q1 2024 and the scheme comprises 81-studio co-living apartments in Ealing, London. Co-Living is a subset of the Residential for Rent market that in terms of design, layout and cost sits between Build to Rent (‘BTR’) and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (‘PBSA’).

The building is adjacent to Ealing Broadway station which provides strong connectivity into and out of Central London with two tube lines alongside the Elizabeth line (‘Crossrail’). The scheme has successfully targeted young professionals in search of affordable yet premium quality living and has been designed to achieve BREEAM Very Good as a minimum standard.

Avant Show Home Portfolio, UK

A national portfolio of show homes located across the UK. The show homes were acquired and immediately leased back to Avant Homes, a high-quality UK housebuilder, on an average three-year term. The show homes are constructed to a high standard, include a number of specification enhancements, and occupy prominent locations on each of the estates on which they are located.

Lumina, Manchester

Best-in-class 440-unit residential development in Trafford’s Civic Quarter, Manchester. The scheme is undergoing development and is targeting opening in late 2026. The apartments and townhouses are arranged over 4 towers offering panoramic views across Manchester and Salford Quays. The towers are joined through a central podium, which will contain a two-storey car park as well as communal amenity space and an extensive outdoor terrace area.

Historic Portfolio

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Duet, Manchester

Duet, a More. Superenting scheme is a 270 unit Build to Rent (‘BTR’) development located in Salford Quays next to MediaCityUK. The site was the last undeveloped waterside site adjacent to Erie Basin and opened in Autumn 2019. The scheme includes extensive communal facilities with co-working, coffee and private dining spaces as well as a state of the art gym. Duet offers 1, 2 and 3 bed furnished or unfurnished apartments.

The Forge, Newcastle

A 283 unit Build to Rent (‘BTR’) More. Superenting scheme adjacent to the Stephenson Quarter in Newcastle. The Forge offers 1, 2 and 3 bed apartments for rent in a development with extensive communal facilities including a wellness centre with a gym, residents lounge, co-working space and private meeting/dining rooms. The scheme was completed in three phases and welcomed its first residents in September 2018.

The Trilogy, Manchester

A 232 unit Build to Rent (‘BTR’) More. Superenting development with 115 parking spaces on the periphery of Castlefield, Manchester. The Trilogy opened in April 2019 and offers 1, 2 and 3 bedroom furnished or unfurnished apartments to rent in stylish surroundings.

The Keel, Queens Dock, Liverpool

The landmark office complex was transformed to create 240 luxury waterside rental apartments. Moorfield developed The Keel, in association with Glenbrook Property. The investment contributes to the ongoing rejuvenation of Liverpool’s waterfront, which has recently been transformed through the delivery of a world class Exhibition Centre and an upscale 216 bed Pullman hotel on the adjoining site.

Sovereign Reversions

A 50% stake in Sovereign Reversions, a business which owns and manages portfolios of UK equity release plans. The stake was acquired from Grainger Plc, following the takeover of Sovereign Reversions by Grainger. In February 2015, an off market approach from Lone Star resulted in an early realisation of the business plan and sale of the stake.

Velocity Village

Velocity Village is a 612,000 sqft mixed-use commercial and residential development in Sheffield. Developed between 2004 and 2010, Velocity Village is set across five buildings located on Tenter Street in Sheffield City Centre and comprises 364 apartments and more than 100,000 sqft of commercial office and retail space with over 550 parking spaces. During our ownership, extensive remedial works and landscaping were carried out at the development and the residential units were 100% occupied. In February 2015, an off market approach from Lone Star resulted in an early realisation of the business plan and sale of Velocity Village.

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