The cost of renting in Britain reaches record highs – but things might improve for tenants soon

According to an index, asking rents in England has reached new record levels.

According to Rightmove figures covering the second quarter of this year, the average lease in the UK, except London, broke a record of £ 1,365 per month.

Although it has reached a new record, asking for rent for a house outside London is 3.9 percent higher than last year, this annual growth figure has been the lowest since 2020.

In London, the average rent advertised reached a new height with £ 2,712 per month.

The average advertisement for new properties in London increased by 1.9 percent per year.

Using data from the website, Rightmove said that a rental house was marked from 21 days last year and to 18 days in 2022.

Approximately one quarter of the rental houses (24 percent) make price discounts while advertising and indicates the highest rate recorded by Rightmove since 2017.

Rental price growth rate, the slowdown in partially due to the balance between supply and demand improvement, he said.

Since 2020, he has seen the best balance between supply and demand in the rent market.

The number of properties that tenants can choose from is 15 percent higher than the previous year, but 29 percent below the level seen in 2019 just before the coronavirus pandemic locks in the UK.

The tenant demand fell by 10 percent compared to the previous year.

In the report, the average number of queries of a typical rental property is currently fell from 11 to 16 last year, but ate in 2019.

Five years after the start of the pandema, the average monthly rent faced by a new tenant is more than £ 2020 (£ 417).

Colleen Babcock, a property expert in Rightmove, said: “Despite a new record that requires average rents for tenants, the big picture annual rent increases continue to slow down, which is good news for the tenants.

“Supply and demand are gradually re -balanced towards normal levels, but we still have a way to go before reaching the houses before 2020.”

Alex Caddy, the ruler of Clarkes Estate and Letting Agency, said: “The rental market underwent a significant change in 2025.

“After a few years of pandemic, after a sharp rent inflation, the tenants hit the ceiling until the end of 2024, which led to common price slowing.

“Competitively priced, well -presented properties continue to attract a strong interest by reflecting the trends in the sales market. However, the market is now dealing with a much higher rental house supply, a complex reversal of previous trends.

“Some hosts have released from the sector in the last two years due to increasing regulatory and financial pressures, but the sales market has slowed down in some regions of these properties.

“Especially for quality of quality one and two bedrooms remain intact. Larger properties move more slowly, some of them see longer empty periods because the tenants benefit from the increasing election.”

General Manager Andrew Ralph, LRG (Leaders Romans Group) Lettings said: iz We see a change in this quarter rental market. Stock levels have risen and demand is strong but more measured and bringing us closer to a sustainable balance.

“Average rents are still increasing annually, but at a slower speed. From the beginning, the right pricing key and the price to set the price in line with the market reaction helps to prevent unnecessary spaces.”

Megan, the President of Arla Properymark, the body of property professionals, is struggling with significant hikes in total costs, including many hosts in the private rental market, increasing taxes, negative mortgage rates and ongoing regulatory challenges.

“These factors make property investment less attractive and potentially more risky.”

StepChange Debt Aid Board Chief Customer Officer Richard Lane said, “The last five years of households hit the financing of the householdly, but very few felt sharper than the special rented sector.

Most majority of our customers fighting debt are tenants, one -third in PRS (special rented sector). Our data shows that 37 percent of the housing costs – 29 percent among social tenants and 27 percent among mortgage holders.

“When most of your income is rented, it is not surprising that special tenants are more exposed to debt and financial problems.”

“When most of our income is swallowed by the landlords, it may mean that we cannot heat our homes for the winter or we can not properly feed ourselves. Some tenants are looking at the barrel of homelessness.”