Alarm raised as room rental supply “enters negative growth”
Summary
SpareRoom reports that room rental supply in inner London fell by 5% in Q2 2026, marking the first negative growth after a three-year period of expansion. The article links the decline to the Renters Rights Act coming into effect and notes that supply is now falling across most of London, with the sharpest drops in north-west and south-west areas.
Why it matters
Changes in rental supply and affordability can influence local market conditions, rent levels and tenant demand, all of which are relevant to residential property surveyors working in London. The reference to new rental reform also signals a shifting regulatory environment that may affect valuation assumptions and market commentary.
Key points
- Inner London flatshare supply fell 5% year on year in Q2 2026.
- This ended a three-year growth trend in room rental supply.
- North-west and south-west London saw supply fall by almost 10% year on year.
- East and north London remain the most affordable areas, while west London has the highest rents and lowest supply.
- The article attributes the trend partly to the Renters Rights Act coming into effect.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
