How partnership working can help take the rental living sector to new heights

Stephanie Smith is Head of Residential at Muse, supporting the delivery of Muse’s expanding residential pipeline and continued strategic growth, with a focus on amplifying the impact and accelerating the delivery of new homes across the country.

She is also a founding member of the Association for Rental Living (ARL) and serves as Chair of the Association’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Stephanie was appointed to the ARL Board in 2024, and Muse became a member in April 2025.

With a national housing shortage and a clear call to action from government, the need for well-designed communities—with quality homes of all tenures—has never been more urgent.

Rental living must play a central role in housing delivery in the UK. More than 200 councils now include Build-to-Rent in their strategies. The ARL estimates that Build-to-Rent could alone contribute up to 2 million new homes and unlock £300 billion in long-term investment.

At Muse during 2024, sustainable new places were being delivered with a Gross Development Value (GDV) of £1bn, this includes more than 2,000 new homes, 44% of which are affordable, as part of our major regeneration masterplans across the UK.

Our residential work spans a wide range—from delivering affordable Passivhaus homes in Salford, including the North West’s largest collection of Passivhaus-certified homes at Greenhaus, to Build-to-Rent projects in Manchester, Tottenham Hale, Wolverhampton and Bradford.

By championing social value, creating jobs and driving regeneration, we can help revitalise towns and cities.

But to realise the full potential of the sector, we must tackle several challenges. From the implications of the Building Safety Act to the need for sector advocacy, aligned standards, and educational frameworks, there’s significant work to be done. These are all issues the ARL—alongside its members and partners—is focused on addressing.

Muse is either already navigating these challenges or has firsthand experience of doing so. We’re also eager to learn from others. We don’t claim to have all the answers, but we believe in the power of shared best practice—locally and globally—to raise the bar for everyone.

We also view our partnerships as central to this effort. In addition to our work with local authorities, this includes our collaborations through ECF (a partnership with L&G and Homes England) and Habiko (with PIC and Homes England). These alliances bring together a rich mix of perspectives and capabilities.

With more than 300 members across the UK, the ARL captures the full scope of the rental living landscape. Coupled with Muse’s presence in the North West, Yorkshire & North East, Midlands and the South, we are well-positioned to work in partnership to accelerate the sector’s growth—for the benefit of residents, communities and local economies alike.