Landlord press review: September 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: Potential ‘autumn bounce’ for housing market as asking prices jump in September; Five lenders hike mortgage prices as interest rate threat looms; Landlord investment slump pushes rents higher; Can you still make a profit as a landlord in 2026?… Happy reading and… renting!
The market
Rental market split as affordability pressures persist
The rental market continues to remain divided across the country, as supply and demand imbalances drive differing rental trends across regions.
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Tenant demand continues as property market rebounds
Tenant demand continues to rise as more landlords return to London’s rental market, according to a new report.
The London property sales market is also seeing growing confidence ahead of the Autumn Budget, with market sentiment improving among buyers and sellers.
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Map shows the most expensive places to rent in Kent and the cheapest
Private rents have risen across Kent, with the sharpest annual increase in Folkestone and Hythe. The average monthly private rent in the district reached £1,178 in the year to August 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data.
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Potential ‘autumn bounce’ for housing market as asking prices jump in September
Hints of an “autumn bounce” were seen in the housing market in September, as the average price tag on a home increased month on month for the first time since May.
The average price of a home coming on the market increased by 0.7% or £2,441 month on month in September.
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Mortgage
Almost 1 in 3 first-time buyers overlook mortgage brokers for advice
Almost a third of homebuyers say they would turn to other sources of information instead of using a mortgage broker. Online research and advice from friends and family can be helpful. However, brokers play a key role in securing the correct mortgage deal for you and in helping you to prepare for a mortgage application to give you the best chance of it being successful.
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Five lenders hike mortgage prices as interest rate threat looms
Five lenders hiked the price on their mortgage deals to kick off the week as the threat of the Bank of England increasing interest rates looms over the UK economy.
Barclays has raised its rates on a fleet of products by nearly 0.2 per cent, with its two-year fixed rate rising to 5.53 per cent and five year-fix hitting 5.48 per cent.
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Number of mortgages switching to interest-only rises
The number of mortgages switching to interest-only payments rose over the second quarter of the year, data from the Financial Conduct Authority has revealed.
Mortgages changing to interest only rose from the 14,578 that were recorded in the first quarter of 2026 to their highest level since the end of 2024.
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Bank set to hold interest rates but ‘needs to be ready’ to act on inflation
The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates unchanged for the sixth time this year, but experts said it “needs to be ready” to hike rates if energy prices continue to surge.
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Rent
Rent-in-advance ban drives rise in guarantor requests
More than a third of tenants (37%) didn’t know what a guarantor was before being asked to provide one as the Renters’ Rights Act triggers guarantor requests.
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Government confirms plans to regulate short-term lets
The government has announced plans for a mandatory register for short-term lets, which could come into force by March 2027.
Speaking in Parliament, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy confirmed that the government is committed to introducing regulation for short-term holiday lets.
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New-let rents rise 2.4% as northern rents top £1,000
The cost of taking on a new rented home rose at its fastest rate for nearly two years in August, with rents across Great Britain rising by 2.4% over 12 months.
The average new let rent reached £1,419, as the annual rate of growth increased for a tenth consecutive month.
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Landlord investment slump pushes rents higher
Weak landlord investment will see rents rise by between 4% and 5% by the year-end because the supply of rental homes has fallen for the first time in three years, Zoopla reveals.
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The expensive Essex area where rent prices just keep rising
The cost of renting a home has risen across every area of Essex, with average monthly rents reaching £1,844 in the most expensive district – but one area’s prices just keep soaring. Epping Forest recorded the county’s largest annual increase, with average private rents rising by 5.6% in the 12 months to August 2026.
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Call for rent controls as smaller landlords quit the PRS
Smaller landlords are leaving the private rented sector, but their departure is not reducing the number of homes available to rent, an analysis reveals.
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Advice
Can you still make a profit as a landlord in 2026?
Running a buy-to-let business – whether that’s having just one property or a large portfolio – can be profitable over time. It’s one of the few asset classes that can deliver ongoing income while also growing in capital value, and that’s as true in 2026 as it has always been. The caveat is that being a landlord is, and always has been, a long-term investment strategy.
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Other
Landlords warned poorly maintained rental properties could cost them thousands
Poorly maintained rental properties could wipe nearly £60,000 off the value of a landlord’s investment in London, new data reveals.
A research found landlords across England could lose up to £30,172 from the value of the average buy-to-let property if it is not properly maintained.
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One million landlords set to use tenant deposit alternatives
More than one million landlords could end up using deposit alternatives if government plans to scrap insured tenancy deposit schemes go ahead, research reveals.
Zero Deposit found 9% would move directly to a deposit alternative…
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What household cost pressures mean for a landlord’s cash-flow plan
A property can produce a respectable annual surplus and still leave its owner short of cash when a bill falls due. That matters particularly if the portfolio is expected to provide a dependable income, fund retirement or allow its owner to spend less time managing it.
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