Long Harbour investment vehicle moves to operational phase

Real estate management group Long Harbour’s Single Family Housing Fund has taken over at newly completed sites in Derby and Desborough, as it targets a £1.2bn rental portfolio.

Long Harbour says the handover of two sites forward funded with Bellway – at Snelsmoor Village in Derby, and the other at Weavers Field in Desborough – marks a “significant milestone” for the fund, which has acquired a total of 649 single family rental homes to date, and plans to be operational on across seven sites by the end of 2026.

The group says it’s focusing on sites in areas of strong rental demand, benefiting from robust population growth, high employment density and excellent transport connectivity.

The fund has also taken over management of the first completed homes at Orchard Mill in Ditton, Kent, forward funded with Miller Homes, and Newhall in Harlow, Essex, which is acquired from Vistry Group.

“Taking handover of our first homes is a defining moment for the fund, as we move from deploying capital into building new homes to generating long-term income for our investors,” said Jack Spearman, managing director of single family housing at Long Harbour.

“Alongside this progress we continue to grow our pipeline, reflecting the strength of our partnerships with leading housebuilders and the depth of demand for high-quality single family rental homes across the UK. This is just the start for LHSFF as we look to scale the Fund towards its £1.2 billion target.”

LHSFF is Long Harbour’s second single family venture, launching in December 2024, with the first venture having launched in 2015, which operated over 500 properties across the South East of England.

All homes controlled by the fund will be let and managed by “Home by Way of Life”, Long Harbour’s ai-powered residential lettings and management business, which includes a purpose-built residential management technology platform for large-scale portfolios.