Landlords ‘raising asking rents as bidding war ban hits’
Summary
Chestertons reports that some landlords are increasing advertised rents in response to the Renters’ Rights Act ban on encouraging bidding wars, aiming to preserve target rental income without inviting competitive offers. The article also notes stronger rental growth in the latest Rightmove data, with London outpacing the rest of Britain for the first time since late 2023.
Why it matters
This is relevant to residential property surveyors because rental pricing behaviour, supply constraints and legislative changes can influence local market evidence used in valuation and advisory work. It also signals how new lettings rules may affect market transparency and comparables.
Key points
- Landlords are reportedly setting higher asking rents after the bidding-war ban.
- Chestertons says activity rose after the Act passed, then eased in July.
- Rightmove recorded 2.9% year-on-year rental asking price growth in Q2 2026.
- London rental growth outpaced the rest of Britain for the first time since late 2023.
- Lower supply and landlords selling up are cited as supporting higher rents.
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