Landlord press review: July 2026
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: A decade on from Brexit: Has the UK housing market paid the price?; Mortgage demand from home buyers expected by lenders to fall over summer; Rents climb to highest level in two years; Most renters are unaware of the Renters’ Rights Act; Young buyers willing to sacrifice a safe neighbourhood to buy a cheap home… Happy reading and… renting!
The market
UK rental market remains resilient despite slowing growth at 2.1%
The latest Rental Market Report from Zoopla highlights a rental sector that’s becoming more balanced, but one where strong underlying demand and a continued shortage of rental homes are still supporting rental growth across the UK.
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A decade on from Brexit: Has the UK housing market paid the price?
Supporters argue that many of the challenges faced since the referendum have been driven by global events, including the pandemic, inflation and higher interest rates. Critics, however, contend that Brexit has weighed on economic growth, investment and consumer confidence, with knock-on effects for housing demand and development activity.
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UK house prices edge up as market remains subdued
House prices are ticking up slowly as political uncertainty continues to cause a slowdown, according to the Nationwide house price index.
The data shows UK annual house price growth picked up to 2.2% in June, rising from 1.7% in May.
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London property market hit by Iran war as mortgage payments soar and thousands of homes left unsold
The average Londoner is paying an extra £244 per month on their mortgage as war in Iran and political uncertainty have caused the capital’s property market to slow down, new data reveals.
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Average UK house price increases month on month for first time since February
Property values rose by 0.2% month on month typically in June, marking the first monthly increase since February.
Annual house price growth also accelerated to reach 0.6% in June, from 0.5% in May.
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Why did UK average house prices fall in June?
British home asking prices experienced a 0.6 per cent decline in June, equating to a £2,113 reduction, marking the largest June drop in 14 years, according to Rightmove.
This month-on-month fall brought the average asking price across the country to £376,191.
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Mortgage
Mortgage demand from home buyers expected by lenders to fall over summer
Mortgage availability is expected to increase over the summer, but demand for mortgages from home buyers is expected to decrease in the period to the end of August, according to a Bank of England survey of lenders.
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Mortgage rates dip, experts urge borrowers to act now
With mortgage rates falling, experts warn borrowers not to delay. The best mortgage isn’t always the lowest rate…
Mortgage rates are on the move again, and borrowers who have spent the past two years waiting for relief may finally be getting it.
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Lenders rush to cut rates as ‘nobody wants to be left looking expensive’
Lenders rushing to reduce mortgage rates show that “nobody wants to be left looking expensive”…
These comments follow announcements from Nationwide of cuts of 0.19 per cent on its fixed products and 0.12 per cent on its trackers.
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Bank of England warns more homeowners face mortgage cost rises
The Bank of England now expects over five million homeowners to face higher monthly mortgage costs by 2028, up from four million forecast in December.
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Mortgage rates fall at fastest pace in almost two years
Fixed mortgage rates fell for a second consecutive month, recording the biggest monthly reductions since October 2024. The average two-year fixed rate dropped by 0.16% and the average five-year fixed rate by 0.11%, leaving both at 5.52% – their lowest level since the start of March 2026.
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Lowest fixed rate mortgages go above 4.5% as NatWest hikes prices
The lowest fixed rate mortgages are set to go above 4.5 per cent today as another high street bank raises its home loan prices.
NatWest announced it is raising rates on both fixed rate and tracker deals by up to 0.28 percentage points.
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Buy to let lending rises to £10.8bn
Buy to let lending rose during the first three months of 2026, with landlords securing 58,272 new loans worth £10.8 billion, data from UK Finance reveals.
Even with higher BTL borrowing costs, both figures were higher than a year earlier.
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Rent
UK rents hit historic £1,500 milestone as house prices see biggest June fall in 14 years
Average UK asking prices fell by £2,113 in June — the largest drop for the month in 14 years — as South East rents hit a historic £1,500-per-month milestone for the first time outside London.
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Rents climb to highest level in two years
Rental inflation has hit its highest level in two years, with a firm blaming the Renters’ Rights Act for the rise.
Average rents in June also rose to £1,309, the highest recorded since September 2025, and £80 higher than a year earlier.
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London and the North West see rental affordability improve
Landlords are seeing rent levels move in different directions across the UK, while the salary needed to secure an average-priced home has fallen in most regions over the past year.
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Most renters are unaware of the Renters’ Rights Act
Research reveals that 69% of private renters in England have either never heard of the Renters’ Rights Act or are don’t know what it means.
Only 32% said they had heard of the legislation and understood at least some of what it meant for them.
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Heatwave mounts pressure on rental properties as landlords urged to prepare
With the UK’s heatwave set to continue, estate agents are urging landlords and tenants to take action as homes heat up with the scorching temperatures.
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Average asking rents have jumped to new record highs
The average asking rent jumped to a new record high in the second quarter of this year.
Across Britain, excluding London, the average advertised private rent on a home coming onto the market reached a record £1,397 per month in the second quarter.
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Why demand for rental flats in Edinburgh continues to rise
Anyone who’s been flat hunting in Edinburgh in the last year will tell you the same story – excellent flats move fast. Sure, the castle views and cobbled alleyways are wonderful, but what really draws visitors here goes a little deeper than postcard charm.
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Rents could be frozen under moves to help struggling Brits
Rents could be frozen as part of attempts to help Brits struggling with the cost of living, Andy Burnham has indicated.
The new prime minister is also looking at ways to bring down energy bills and cap bus fares to show his government is on the side of ordinary people.
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Advice
Government tells landlords to review existing guarantor agreements
In updated guidance on the fees landlords can charge as part of a tenancy, the government is advising landlords to check existing guarantor agreements following the changes introduced by the Renters’ Rights Act.
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Selling your property portfolio doesn’t need to be a headache
With the Renters’ Rights Act, Making Tax Digital and tougher Right to Rent checks, landlords could be forgiven for thinking everything is becoming more complicated.
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Other
The UK’s short-let guest nights exceed 100 million
Landlords operating short-let accommodation saw demand rise across every UK country and English region during 2025.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that guests spent 100,911,620 nights that were booked through online platforms last year.
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Young buyers willing to sacrifice a safe neighbourhood to buy a cheap home
One in five young buyers is willing to move more than 25 miles away from where they live to get on or move up the property ladder.
Analysis by Barclays showed that young buyers, often first-time buyers, were more willing to sacrifice a high-quality and safe neighbourhood if it meant they could buy a cheaper home.
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Why the Renters’ Rights Act is causing a tsunami?
Nobody likes admitting they are wrong, but housing minister Matthew Pennycook’s claim that the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA) has maintained stability in the rental market is delusional and dangerous.
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Government promises to help landlords with EPC costs
The government claims financial support is available to landlords to meet EPC targets.
In answer to a written parliamentary question, the government claim they want to expand the availability of private finance options to help landlords meet energy-efficiency targets.
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Councils to use Airbnb data to catch illegal social housing sublets
Under a first-of-its-kind data-sharing agreement between Airbnb and the Cabinet Office, people illegally subletting social housing through the platform will be identified and could be evicted from their properties.
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Three-quarters of Bristol landlords still saying ‘no’ to pets despite law change
Only just over a quarter of homes up for rent in Bristol are being advertised as accepting pets, with almost three-quarters of landlords still saying ‘no’, according to new figures released this week.
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