deverellsmith launches 2026 rental living salary guide in partnership with SAY Property and The Land Collective

Posted by deverellsmith on 23rd January 2026 -

deverellsmith launches 2026 rental living salary guide in partnership with SAY Property and The Land Collective

Specialist recruitment firm's annual benchmarking report reveals 38% increase in successful placements as UK rental living market "unfreezes", while research into workforce sentiment exposes progression as the critical retention battleground.

Key findings:

Vacancies up 20% year on year with successful placements rising 38%

Maintenance and facilities roles see notable upward salary pressure as compliance standards elevate their strategic importance

Career progression is the leading reason professionals leave their roles, yet only 25% see clear advancement opportunities in current positions

Most rental living careers remain "accidental" - more professionals fell into the sector than actively chose it

While compensation is viewed as fair, only a minority see it as highly competitive

London, UK – 21 January 2026: deverellsmith, the specialist property recruitment consultancy focused on investment and rental living sectors, has released its 2026 rental living salary guide in partnership with SAY Property Consultants and featuringed insights from The Land Collective.

The guide combines comprehensive market data to benchmark salaries across entry-level, manager, director and senior leadership levels spanning investment, development, asset management, central operations, on-site management and corporate functions. The report also includes findings from independent research workforce survey of over 100 industry professionals, creating the UK rental living sector's most detailed annual reference for salaries, progression pathways and workforce sentiment.

A more active but selective market

Vacancy levels have increased 20% year on year, with successful placements rising 38%, driven predominantly by operational hiring as schemes complete and portfolios mature across the UK. However, the talent market has become notably more discerning, with candidates stable in roles and selective about their next move.

Maintenance and facilities positions have experienced particularly strong upward salary pressure. Heightened resident standards and increasingly complex compliance requirements have repositioned these roles from cost centre to critical drivers of asset performance and resident satisfaction.

The progression gap

Analysis of workforce sentiment data highlights career progression as the central retention challenge facing rental living operators. While progression emerged as the leading reason professionals left their previous role, only around a quarter of survey respondents feel opportunities to advance in their current organisation are "very clear".

The research also reveals that the single most common entry route into rental living remains unplanned. More professionals report they "fell into" the sector than those who actively chose it for career prospects, pointing to significant untapped potential in intentional talent attraction and structured career pathways.

The Land Collective's insights focus on addressing the "accidental careers" challenge. Their work with employers demonstrates that structured pathways and early exposure to diverse opportunities can transform how young people access roles in the sector, highlighting the importance of intentional talent attraction strategies that engage under-represented groups and address both the progression gap and lack of awareness.

On compensation, most respondents view their overall package as fair or average, but only a minority consider it highly competitive. Higher base salary or stronger bonus potential ranks as the top factor that could prompt a move, though work–life balance, flexibility, supportive culture and meaningful work all feature prominently as reasons to stay.

 "Hiring across rental living is active, but the talent market is more discerning than ever. Candidates are stable in their roles and willing to wait for the right move. Employers who understand the balance between progression, flexibility and compensation, and can evidence it, will be the ones who win."

 Hannah Taylor, manager – living EMEA, deverellsmith

Debra Yudolph, founder and CEO of SAY Property, added: "Rental living relies on motivated, skilled teams at every level, from on-site and maintenance teams to senior operations and asset management. Our research shows the sector has huge appeal, but careers are still too often accidental and progression can feel opaque. Turning that into intentional, well-supported pathways is one of the biggest opportunities for owners and operators over the next few years.

The 2026 rental living salary guide is available to download from deverellsmith's website. A dedicated episode of devcast, featuring senior industry leaders from Related Argent, Realstar and John Lewis Partnership discussing the findings and their implications for talent strategy, is available here.

About deverellsmith

deverellsmith is a leading real estate recruitment and talent solutions partner operating across the UK and US. Since 2006, the business has helped owners, investors, developers and operators attract, hire and retain high-performing teams across the property lifecycle. For more information, visit deverellsmith.com/.

About SAY Property

SAY Property is is a specialist consultancy advising owners, operators and investors across Build to Rent, PBSA and the wider rental living sector. SAY combines operational expertise with people-centred research and insight to support high-performing places and teams over the long term

For more information, visit sayproperty.co.uk/

About The Land Collective

The Land Collective is an award-winning social mobility organisation that partners with employers to diversify the talent pipeline in the property and built environment sector. Founded in 2017, we connect young people aged 16-25 from under-represented backgrounds with leading industry firms through tailored employability programmes, co-hosted events to improve commercial awareness and work experience placements. For more information, visit thelandcollective.com.