Now they're coming for YOUR house: How 'predatory' Wall Street landlords are pricing young Brits out of the housing market by swooping in and buying newbuild family homes

Hard-working British families have slammed 'Wall Street landlords' for 'pricing them out of the housing market' by buying up new builds to line their pockets.

There was £1.3billion of private investment in British new builds last year and almost two fifths came from American funds.

Furious renters told MailOnline that although they wanted to get on the housing ladder, giant wealth funds were driving up prices and taking away availability. 

Meanwhile, housing experts claim that 'predatory' investment funds were taking advantage of the housing market that keeps families paying rent for longer.

One American firm buying up British homes is investment company Blackstone, which owns Leaf Living and Sage Homes in the UK.

Aerial view of The Paddocks development in Cressing near Braintree, Essex. Last year, there was £1.3billion of private investment in British new builds and almost two fifths came from American funds

One American firm buying up British homes is investment company Blackstone, which owns Leaf Living and Sage Homes in the UK. At Cressing estate (pictured) near Braintree, Essex, more than a quarter of the properties were snapped up by Leaf Living for a sum believed to be around £2million

Leaf Living bought 1,500 family houses in the UK last year. Under Blackstone's ownership, Leaf Living and Sage Homes have built around 13,500 homes in the UK.

At Cressing estate near Braintree, Essex, more than a quarter of the properties were snapped up by Leaf Living for a sum believed to be around £2million. 

Now the homes are being rented out for more than £2,000-a-month, raking in more than £1.4million every year.

Mother-of-two Tamara Scrase, 30, who lives on the estate said: 'We pay £1,700 a month rent – it's a lovely house but would cost more than £400,000. 

'Ordinary people may find it difficult to get a mortgage but a large financial institution has a head start over us.

'I pay £1,700 a month rent but it is hard to get banks or building societies to recognise that we want - and could - buy our own home. 

'It is difficult to compete with a giant company that can buy up dozens of houses at a time - and the house builders must be happy with bulk sales.'

Bank worker Nuno Sani, 32, who lives in one of the rented properties with a family of three young children, said: 'We have been here a year after moving out of East London where we had a small flat.

'It's a good place to live and I'd like to buy here but we have to rent.

'The buy-to-let market is booming so it makes things much more difficult for ordinary people who want to own their own home.'

Another renter said: 'I'd love to own my own home but there's no way I can compete with a giant American corporation.

The entrance to Leaf Living's cressing estate. The homes are being rented out for more than £2,000-a-month, raking in more than £1.4million every year

An aerial view of the estate. A typical ad for a Leaf Living homes boasts that a four-bedroom house, 'surrounded by green open spaces and lush foliage' that costs £2,260-a-month to rent

'The developers just want to sell their houses – it does not matter one jot to them who buys them or what happens to them.

'People like Leaf are cashing in – and it doesn't help people like first-time buyers. It means Leaf gets the rents and are sitting on appreciating assets. 

'But when they are in the market it keeps prices high and the rents are adjusted to keep pace.

'Developers must love them – they are solid buyers who realise that they have bought assets that will only go up in values – while they pocket the rents.

'A £400,000 mortgage over 25 years is around £2,400 a month – but people desperate to get a home will be spending around that and never own their property.'

A typical ad for a Leaf Living homes boasts that a four-bedroom house, 'surrounded by green open spaces and lush foliage' that costs £2,260-a-month to rent.

The development is less than a mile away from a branch line railway station that links up with commuter trains at Witham five miles away.

The detached houses have open-plan kitchen and dining rooms and up to four bedrooms as well as garages with electric vehicle charging points available.

The homes' master bedroom also boasts an ensuite and built-in wardrobe as well as a cloakroom and garden with a patio and lawn.

The entrance to the housing estate in Cressing, Essex. Nuno Sani, 32, who lives in one of the rented properties with a family of three young children, said: 'We have been here a year after moving out of East London where we had a small flat. 'It's a good place to live and I'd like to buy here but we have to rent' 

A street on Leaf Living's estate. The detached houses have open-plan kitchen and dining rooms and up to four bedrooms as well as garages with electric vehicle charging points available. The homes' master bedroom also boasts an ensuite and built-in wardrobe as well as a cloakroom and garden with a patio and lawn

The cressing estate from above. Mother-of-two Tamara Scrase, 30, who lives on the estate said: 'We pay £1,700 a month rent – it's a lovely house but would cost more than £400,000. Ordinary people may find it difficult to get a mortgage but a large financial institution has a head start over us'

Housing expert David Hall told MailOnline: 'That's a common feature here [in Ireland] with funds buying up blocks of apartments and actually some of them are funding the building by providing the resident finance. 

'It's no surprise at all that it's a business model for a lot of the funds and pension funds and gives them some semblance of certainty and assurance.

'Of course, it is going to price people out of the market.

'These are investment forums that are essentially vultures. They're not social housing buddies. They're not charities. They're predators.

'They're doing nothing wrong. They're allowed to do it.

'The market is wide open for predators to come in, wide open for the market to be manipulated.

'It's not just pricing them out of the market, it's actually the old boys network of the conversations and private deals for stuff that doesn't even go on the market.

'That's a major impact as well.'

He said only 'radical direct intervention' by the Government could protect people.

Mr Hall said: 'Unless it's willing to do that, they will be preyed upon by vultures and their bones and carcasses will be picked - as is [investment funds'] right and entitlement to do so unless someone stops [them].'

A floorplan for the homes. The detached houses have open-plan kitchen and dining rooms and up to four bedrooms as well as garages with electric vehicle charging points available. The homes' master bedroom also boasts an ensuite and built-in wardrobe as well as a cloakroom and garden with a patio and lawn

Part of the estate are still under construction. The development is less than a mile away from a branch line railway station that links up with commuter trains at Witham five miles away

Housing expert David Hall (pictured). He said only 'radical direct intervention' by the Government could protect people

Housing charity Acorn's chief Nick Ballard told MailOnline: 'Britain's housing crisis should be a source of national shame.

'Rising homelessness, 1.3 million families on council housing waiting lists and millions condemned to living in poor quality, insecure and expensive private rented accommodation are problems having a very real negative impact on people's lives, health and on society as a whole.

'House prices are out of reach for many and have been for years. 

'Rising rents and the cost of living crisis mean people are finding it harder and harder to save to put down a deposit. 

'Policies of successive Governments have led to 1.5 million council houses sold or demolished and not replaced, so these are no longer a viable option for most.

'House building alone, particularly build-to-rent properties which will siphon money to US investment companies, will not solve the housing crisis.

'The Government must embark on a serious building programme for social homes, to address the shortage of housing, to bring down rental prices and to provide safe, secure and stable homes that can become the foundation of happy and healthy lives.'

Blackstone claims it is helping address the global shortage of housing by adding to the supply of high quality, professionally managed rental housing.

The investment firm told MailOnline: 'Blackstone is a leader in responsible investment in housing and we deliver the highest operating standards for our tenants. 

'Wherever we operate, we scrupulously follow all housing laws at national, regional and local levels. 

'Blackstone rents are consistent with other properties in the market. 

'As has been widely documented, the way to reduce rent increases is to build more housing.'