Member Article

Moda Living reveals 'first of its kind' Uber agreement for tenants

UK build to rent developer Moda Living has announced a new agreement with Uber that aims to encourage residents to eschew car ownership in a deal that is being billed as the first of its kind in the UK.

The London-headquartered BTR firm, which is currently building 6,000 homes across the UK, is to offer tenants £100 per month in Uber credits in they choose not to take up a car parking space at their development.

Instead users will be able to book an Uber car through Moda Living’s bespoke app in a move that the firm said will help to cut back on car ownership, with the Apache Capital-backed developer claiming the model will be rolled out across the world in the coming years.

Uber’s Regional General Manager in the UK, Jo Bertram, said the new partnership was part of a wider trend reimagining and repurposing urban environments without the need for such high levels of car ownership.

She said: “Cars are one of the most expensive assets most people own, but they’re used just five per cent of the time. Our mission is for everybody to have a reliable ride at the touch of a button so they don’t need their own car.

“These plans for what will be a unique partnership with Moda Living is a big step forward in making that a reality. By getting more people to ditch their own vehicles we can put some of the space wasted on parking to much better use.”

Moda, which has received £1bn investment to fuel its BTR push UK-wide, is developing rental homes in cities including Edinburgh, Leeds, London and Manchester, with a focus on both construction and managing the properties once they are complete.

Featuring high-end communal areas that mimic swanky hotels, Moda has also developed a fully featured app which allows residents to connect with each other as well as control their heating and entertainment systems, and order their Ubers of course.

Johnny Caddick, Managing Director of Moda Living, commented: “Our apartments are for rent rather than for sale so we need to consider how our customers will live in cities in the future.

“Embracing future technology is vital from day one and these plans for a partnership with Uber would not only give our customers an affordable ride at the touch of a button - it would also enable us to design better buildings with more space for social interaction.

“Everyone wants a more frictionless life and Uber’s model fully aligns with our approach of wanting to drive efficiency and maximise value for our customers.”