UK private rents continued to climb in April, while house price growth across the country lost momentum, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The data showed that the average private rent in the UK reached £1,381 per month in April 2026, following an annual increase of 3.5%. This was slightly higher than the 3.4% growth recorded in March, with rents continuing to rise across all four nations of the UK.
In England, average monthly rents increased to £1,438, which was £48 higher than the same time last year. The North East recorded the strongest annual rental growth at 6.5%, while London saw the slowest increase at just 2%.
Despite lower annual growth in the capital, London still remained the most expensive part of the country for renters. Kensington and Chelsea recorded the highest average monthly rent at £3,597. Outside the capital, Oxford remained one of the priciest rental markets, with average rents reaching £1,956 per month.
At the other end of the scale, the lowest average rent was found in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland, where tenants paid an average of £552 each month.
Wales also saw rental prices continue to rise, with average monthly rents increasing by 4.9% to £834. Although this marked a slight rise from March’s 4.8% increase, it remained well below the peak rental inflation of 8.9% seen in March 2025.
In Scotland, average rents climbed by 2% year-on-year to £1,019, representing an increase of £20 over the past 12 months. However, the annual rate of growth eased slightly compared with March and was the weakest recorded in more than four years.
Northern Ireland’s latest available figures, which relate to February, showed average rents rising by 4% annually to £877 per month.
While rents continued to move upwards, the housing sales market showed signs of slowing. According to the ONS, the average UK house price remained unchanged over the year to March 2026, holding steady at £268,000.
This meant annual house price growth fell to 0%, down sharply from the 1.7% recorded in February and marking the slowest annual growth rate since April 2024.
The slowdown followed a monthly decline of 0.4% between February and March 2026. By comparison, average prices had risen by 1.2% during the same period a year earlier, ahead of the changes to Stamp Duty Land Tax introduced in April 2025.
England saw the largest slowdown in house prices, with the average property value falling by 0.6% to £290,000. This represented a drop of £2,000 compared with the previous year.
In Wales, house prices continued to rise, although at a slower pace. The average home value increased by 2.9% to £213,000, easing slightly from the 3.3% growth recorded in February.
Scotland also recorded continued growth, with average property prices increasing by 1.6% to £187,000. This represented an annual increase of around £3,000, although the pace of growth slowed compared with earlier in the year.
Northern Ireland remained the strongest-performing region for house price growth. Average property values there climbed by 7.4% annually to £198,000, an increase of £14,000 compared with the same quarter in 2025.
Industry figures said the latest data highlighted the ongoing imbalance between supply and demand in the rental market.
Propertymark chief executive Nathan Emerson said many local markets were still experiencing a shortage of available rental homes, which continued to place upward pressure on rents. He noted that landlords were still facing rising costs, higher taxes, and increasing regulation, limiting the number of properties entering the market.
Paragon Bank’s managing director of mortgages, Louisa Sedgwick, said rental inflation had started to move more closely in line with wage growth following the sharp increases seen after the pandemic. However, she warned that wider economic pressures, including the impact of the conflict involving Iran, could add further inflationary strain in the months ahead.
Estate agent Jeremy Leaf said concerns surrounding the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act had encouraged more landlords to sell properties, further tightening rental supply in some areas. He added that smaller rental homes had seen particularly strong demand because of limited availability.
Meanwhile, Zoopla’s executive director of research, Richard Donnell, suggested the slowdown in house price growth was linked more closely to uncertainty surrounding housing taxation changes announced in the Budget rather than recent mortgage rate increases.
He added that buyer activity had started to improve, particularly among first-time buyers, and predicted that the housing market could still see around 1.2 million sales over the coming year despite the slower pace of price growth.
Overall, the latest ONS figures point towards a housing market that remains divided. Rental costs continue to rise steadily due to limited supply, while house price growth has largely stalled as affordability pressures, economic uncertainty, and higher borrowing costs continue to weigh on buyer confidence.
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