UK rental prices to rise 2% in 2026 as market moderates, says Rightmove

(Sharecast News) - Rightmove has predicted that average rents across the UK, excluding London, will rise by just 2% in 2026, as upwards pressure on prices continues to moderate compared with previous years.

The average advertised rent of homes coming on to the market outside of the capital fell by 1.1% over the fourth quarter of 2025 to £1,370 per calendar month, the property platform announced on Thursday. This was only the second time in five years that quarterly rents have fallen.

Nevertheless, rents were still up 2.2% over the year compared with 2024, though competition for properties is "less fierce than in recent years", Rightmove said.

Rental ads received an average of 10 enquiries in 2025, higher than the pre-pandemic average of six but lower than the 14 enquiries for every available rental home in 2024.

In London, average rents across London were also lower in the fourth quarter, slipping by 0.7% over the three-month period, taking the average advertised monthly rent to £2,716. For 2025 as a whole, average rents rose by just 0.8%, marking the lowest annual rate of growth since 2020.

Looking ahead, Rightmove predicts that average advertised rents will increase by another 2%, limited by a significant improvement in the supply-demand balance - though a chronic shortage of rental homes is still placing pressure on rents.

"There is still a long-term shortage of available rental homes, but it looks like landlords are taking advantage of cheaper available mortgage rates, and more available homes will benefit tenants," said Rightmove's property expert Colleen Babcock.

"Existing tenants or those looking to rent their own home for the first time are likely to experience a much more settled and balanced market than a few years ago, when the competition to secure a home was frenetic. There is much greater availability of homes, and fewer tenants to compete with now, which should hopefully make the experience more positive for renters."