Like every month, Rentila offers you an overview of the main real estate news of interest to landlords and tenants. This month, we focus on: Property market sees a slump in buyer searches; Why UK rental prices could rise by 25 per cent in three months; Mortgage recovery hinges on a Bank of England interest rate cut; Rents increase 5.9% to £1,343 in July: ONS; How to increase the value of your rental property… Happy reading and… renting!
BTL market lending grows amid recovery signs
The UK’s buy to let sector saw strong growth in the first three months of 2025, with lending rising by 38.6% compared to last year.
The figure comes from UK Finance which also reveals that 58,347 new BTL mortgages were finalised.
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Rightmove boosted by buoyant property market but sales growth set to slow
Rightmove has revealed better-than-expected sales as competitive mortgage rates have boosted homebuyer interest, but it cautioned over slowing growth over the rest of the year.
The property portal reported a 10% jump in sales to £211.7 million over the six months to the end of June, helping pre-tax profits rise 10.4% to £146.5 million.
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Property market sees a slump in buyer searches
The housing market has experienced a big summer slowdown, with property searches plummeting by 17.89% between 21 June and 21 July, compared to the previous month.
According to a mortgage technology provider, this decline equates to 273,296 fewer searches.
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House prices up 2.4% in July
The modest uptick in prices comes amid signs of stabilising market activity. Mortgage approvals for house purchases totalled 64,200 in June, roughly in line with pre-pandemic norms, despite much higher interest rates.
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Knight Frank reports ‘resilient’ housing market within general economic uncertainty
The UK housing market is finding its feet amidst more general economic uncertainty, says Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank.
He sees the UK economy now in its third chapter this year.
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Why UK rental prices could rise by 25 per cent in three months
The flow of new rental properties coming to market has fallen at its fastest rate in five years, with 31 per cent of surveyors reporting a decline in landlord instructions.
This sharp reduction in rental supply is anticipated to push rental prices up by 25 per cent over the next three months, despite tenant demand holding steady.
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Average UK property price falls 1.3% in August
According to Rightmove House price index- the largest monthly sample of residential property prices and housing market activity- the average price of property coming to the market for sale dropped by 1.3% (-£4,969) this month to £368,740. This is in line with the ten-year average following the bigger than usual falls in June & July.
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Landlord purchases drop by 85,000 amid Renters’ Rights Bill concerns
There’s been a big drop in landlord purchasing activity which has reshaped the UK’s buy to let landscape, with 85,000 fewer properties acquired over the past year.
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Bank of England data points to mini-boom in UK property market
UK lenders approved more mortgages than expected in June, while remortgaging go-aheads reached their highest monthly total in more than two-and-a-half years, according to Bank of England figures.
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One in five landlords have a buy to let mortgage on property held in a limited company
The latest Q2 2025 Landlord Trends research, conducted by Pegasus Insight on behalf of Foundation Home Loans, has revealed that 20% of landlords have at least one buy to let mortgage for property held in a limited company, rising to 30% amongst portfolio landlords.
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Mortgage recovery hinges on a Bank of England interest rate cut
Missed mortgage payments in the second quarter fell by 4.4 per cent across the UK, whilst direct debit rejections were down 5.1 per cent. This marked the firm quarter since the pandemic where both areas have declined.
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Two-year fixed average mortgage rate dips below five-year
The end of the inversion in the two- and five-year fixed rates, if sustained moving onward, will bring borrowers back to a more traditional mortgage market, where it’s more expensive to secure a longer-term fixed mortgage. Lenders will no doubt be keeping a close eye on swap rates and react quickly should the path change in the coming weeks.
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Mortgage search activity jumps 4.4% on rate day
Mortgage search activity jumped by 4.4 per cent in one day as the Bank of England’s rate decision caused borrowers to “start playing the market”.
This follows the Bank of England’s recent rates decision which saw the central bank cut the base rate to 4 per cent, fuelling expectations that rising interest rates have peaked and that more cuts are on the way.
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Average fixed-mortgage rate edges towards 5%
The average fixed-mortgage rate has continued to edge closer to 5 per cent over July, currently standing at 5.04 per cent, data from Moneyfacts has revealed.
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Homeowner property repossessions in 47% annual jump but mortgage arrears falling
The number of homeowner properties being repossessed in the second quarter of this year jumped by 47% compared with the same period a year earlier, according to figures from a banking and finance industry body.
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Hot UK inflation not a gamechanger for the Bank of England
UK inflation was higher than expected in July, but given it was driven primarily by airfares, the Bank of England won’t be too concerned. A November rate cut hangs in the balance, though it remains our base case.
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Buy-to-let rents bringing in 7% returns to landlords
Landlords are getting around 7% returns on their rented properties as high interest rates amid a cost of living crisis are keeping Britons from jumping on the housing ladder.
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More than half of renters aged 25 to 44 ‘had expected to be homeowners by now’
More than half (59%) of renters aged 25 to 44 say they had expected to be homeowners by this point in their lives, a survey has found.
A third (33%) of renters aged 25 to 44 want to buy a home but do not believe they will ever own a home, according to the research.
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Renters lose £169m in deposit interest every year
Private renters across England and Wales are being deprived of £169 million in potential interest from their tenancy deposits each year.
With £5.37 billion in deposits held in government-accredited schemes generate just £17 million in benefits annually under the current system.
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Renters lose confidence in UK housing market as mortgage and rent spending increases
Spending on rent and mortgages grew by 5.2% in the year to July 2025 while spending on utilities increased by 2.2% in the same period, according to new data from Barclays.
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Rent affordability worsens in England as urban areas drive disparity
Average renters in England are spending more than a third of their income on a home – with cities like London, Bristol and Brighton becoming less affordable, new figures show.
People earning a median salary could expect to spend 36.3% of their income on an average-priced rented home in England in 2024, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
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Rents increase 5.9% to £1,343 in July: ONS
Across the nation, average rents increased by 6.7% to £1,398 in England, by 7.9% to £807 in Wales, and by 3.6% to £999 in Scotland, in the 12 months to July.
In Northern Ireland, average rents lifted by 7.4% to £855 in the 12 months to May.
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How to increase the value of your rental property
Owning a rental property is one thing – maximising its potential is another. The challenge isn’t just about keeping it occupied but ensuring it’s appreciated in value over time. That means focusing on upgrades and strategies that offer tangible returns, both in terms of rental income and overall market value.
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City centre or suburbs: what’s better for returns?
The decision between city centre apartments and suburban houses is rarely straightforward. Investors aren’t just comparing postcodes; they’re weighing entirely different lifestyles, tenant demographics, and long-term value dynamics.
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Should landlords self-manage or use an agent for the Renters’ Rights Bill?
The impending Renters’ Rights Bill looks like it will have a huge impact on the PRS and it leaves, one industry expert says, landlords grappling with a choice.
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Is it better to rent or buy as interest rates fall?
Although previous data from Rightmove (RMV.L) showed a rise in average rent for some properties, research released by Estate agent Hamptons on Monday showed a fall in the average private rent on newly let homes.
The picture remains mixed, however and many tenants across the UK have seen their rent rise by as much as 3.4%.
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How Property Investors Are Navigating the UK’s Evolving Real Estate Market in 2025
The UK property market in 2025 is in a period of transformation. After several turbulent years marked by inflation, rising interest rates, shifting regulations, and changing demand patterns, property investors are reassessing their strategies and adapting to a new reality.
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Nearly 40% of landlords are unprepared for Renters’ Rights Bill impact
There appears to be a serious lack of understanding among self-managing landlords about the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill which will usher in the biggest change to the PRS in 30 years.
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The landlord tax trap stopping home owners renting out their spare rooms
Homeowners looking to earn some extra cash from renting out a room to a lodger are being snared by a tax trap.
Households can let out a furnished room and earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free without notifying the tax office.
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Homelessness minister faces criticism over hiking rent after removing tenants
Labour’s homelessness minister is facing criticism for hiking rent on a property she owns by hundreds of pounds, reportedly just weeks after the previous tenants’ contract ended.
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Historic Growth and the Hidden IHT Trap Often Overlooked by UK Landlords
Did you know that the average UK house price has increased more than 140 times in the last seventy years? In 1952, the typical home cost just over £1,800. By 2024, it was over £260,000.
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Average age of first-time buyer in London hits 35
The average age of Brits buying their first homes has surged over the past two decades as house prices have risen faster than wages.
The average age of a first-time buyer in London was 31 in the mid-2000s, but it has since risen to nearly 35, according to a new research.
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Landlord profitability nears five-year high
Nearly nine in 10 landlords (87 per cent) have reported making a profit in the second quarter of the year, research from Paragon Bank has revealed.
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Rachel Reeves considers replacing stamp duty with new property tax: Report
Senior ministers, who have been briefed on proposals, have asked officials to look into how a new “proportional” property tax could be implemented and model its impact, the Guardian has reported.
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