UK Rent Prices Expected to Accelerate by End of 2026, Say Property Portals

1-Minute Brief

Rising rent prices may increase financial pressure on tenants as property supply remains limited, according to recent forecasts.

Key Facts

• Annual rent increases reached 2.6% in July, according to property portal data.
• The supply of available rental properties has lagged behind levels seen in 2025 in recent months.
• Property portal Zoopla expects rent prices to accelerate by the end of 2026.
• Zoopla forecasts annual rent rises of 4% to 5% by December.
• The property portal giant anticipates further acceleration in rent prices by the end of 2026.

What Happened

Property portals report that UK rent prices are rising, with annual increases and forecasts indicating further acceleration by the end of 2026. Supply of rental properties has not kept pace with previous years.

Why It Matters

These trends may increase financial strain on renters and affect housing affordability, especially as limited property supply and rising costs persist in the rental market.

What's Next

Observers will monitor whether rental supply improves and if rent price growth aligns with the forecasted acceleration by the end of 2026.