Press & media coverage

Benham and Reeves says rents have increased an average 0.7% since the Act won Royal Asset last October – the same rate of growth seen during the equivalent period prior to October of last year. In fact, the majority of London boroughs have actually seen the pace of rental growth slow since the legislation became law.

The average UK house price now stands at £278,024 - and it marks the "first time in 2026" house prices have been down, the building society said in an announcement. Marc von Grundherr, Director of Benham and Reeves, said: “A monthly dip in house prices shouldn't be mistaken for a market downturn.

Fears that London’s landlords would respond to the Renters’ Rights Act by sharply increasing rents appear to have missed the mark, according to research from estate agents Benham and Reeves.

Analysis by London lettings and estate agency Benham and Reeves examined average private rental values across all London boroughs. The research compared the five months before the legislation received Royal Assent on 27 October 2025, covering May to October 2025, with the subsequent five-month period from October 2025 to March 2026.

Marc von Grundherr, Director of Benham and Reeves: “A monthly dip in house prices shouldn’t be mistaken for a market downturn. Buyers remain active, transaction levels are holding firm and house prices remain higher than they were this time last year. Yes, the landscape may be more challenging, but despite wider economic angst, higher mortgage rates and stubborn inflation, homebuyers are continuing to make their move when the right opportunity presents itself.”

The average UK house price now stands at £278,024 - and it marks the "first time in 2026" house prices have been down, the building society said in an announcement. Marc von Grundherr, Director of Benham and Reeves, said: “A monthly dip in house prices shouldn't be mistaken for a market downturn. Buyers remain active, transaction levels are holding firm and house prices remain higher than they were this time last year.

Marc von Grundherr, Director at Benham and Reeves, says: “London continues to demonstrate remarkable resilience and while headline house price growth across the capital remains largely flat, the fact that sales agreed are up 8% year-on-year tells a very different story beneath the surface."

Director of Benham and Reeves, Marc von Grundherr, comments: “We’ve seen a notable shift in seller confidence across the wider UK market, with the gap between mortgage approved prices and asking prices widening once again after several quarters of improvement. This suggests that many sellers are feeling more optimistic about market conditions and are therefore becoming firmer in their pricing expectations.

Benham and Reeves’ latest Property Market Review found the market slowed in Q1 2026, but house prices started to pick up after a dip at the end of 2025. Prices were 0.7% higher than Q1 2025.

Marc von Grundherr, director of estate agent Benham & Reeves, said: “Overall, England offers a balance between continued market flexibility and increasing regulation: still attractive to investors, but with higher expectations around compliance and tenant protection than ever before.”