AUGUS T 2026
£3,300
£4,354
+4.1%
M A R K E T O VE R V I E W PEAK SEASON
Rising rents, steady demand, and ongoing supply pressures characterise this year’s peak letting season, as graduates, students, and others drive seasonal activity. The market is also looking ahead to the next phase of reform under the Renters’ Rights Act. SEASONAL PRESSURES
RENTERS’ RIGHTS ACT: WHAT’S NEXT
Summer is typically a peak period in the rental market, with activity picking up as graduates start new jobs, students move for university, and others relocate. With the season in full swing, the average rent reached £1,369 in July, up 4.3% year-on-year and 1.2% on June¹. RICS survey respondents also reported a modest pickup in renter demand, with the headline net balance rising to +18% in June - the strongest reading since May 2025². Supply pressures remain, almost half (47%) of property professionals report lower stock levels than three months ago³. Looking ahead, rental growth is expected to ease to around 2 to 3% by the end of 20264. In the prime market, average rents have reached £4,354, up 4.1% year-on-year.
The Renters’ Rights Act took effect in May, scrapping Section 21 “no fault” evictions and moving tenancies onto a rolling, periodic basis. In the year before the Act took effect, most tenancy endings were by choice, with 63% of renters moving voluntarily and 17% reaching the end of a fixed-term agreement, while 14% were asked to leave, an outcome no longer permitted without valid grounds5. With that route now closed, the Act’s next phase arrives from late 2026, introducing a Private Rented Sector Database requiring landlords to register themselves and their properties, alongside a free Landlord Ombudsman service to resolve disputes without going to court, though full rollout isn’t expected until around 2028.
¹HomeLet, ²RICS , ³Rightmove , 4PriceHubble, 5English Housing Survey 2024-25: private rented sector - pre-Renters’ Rights Act overview, published May 2026.
£1,650 £2,255 +15.2% £20
£1,950 £2,509 +5.5% £24
£1,650 £2,055 +5.1% £18
£1,700 £2,298 +15.9% £20
£1,650 £2,161 +10.1% £18
£1,670 £2,113 +9.7% £18
£2,630 £3,598 +13% £30 Source: Dataloft Rental Market Analytics by PriceHubble
£2,350 £2,980 +2.9% £23 £2,750 £3,661 +5.1% £27
£4,290 £5,883 +5.1% £53
6.4% 5.6% 4.8% 4% 3.2% 2.4% 1.6% 0.8% 0% AUG 2025
SEP 2025
OCT 2025
NOV 2025
DEC 2025
JAN 2026
FEB 2026
MAR 2026
APR 2026
MAY 2026
JUN 2026
JUL 2026
Source: Dataloft Rental Market Analytics by PriceHubble
£1,366 £3,300 £4,354
£1,395 £3,300 £4,223
2026-08-04
£1,324 £3,350 £4,598