The residential private rented sector (PRS) has the potential to make a significant contribution to the housing needs of the future. The PRS benefited from regulatory changes in the late 1980s that removed fetters to rent levels and tenancy length. The historic under‐investment is being re‐evaluated and the PRS is beginning to emerge as a viable corporate and institutional investment vehicle. The strategic assembly of portfolios, which may be highly specialised or more general, can be identified from published demographic forecasts. Finance for new‐build, refurbishment and bulk acquisition can be sourced from specialist residential investment funds. The overall effect of these measures is beginning to make the PRS a reinvigorated investment opportunity with long‐term potential.