London rental growth outpaces house prices as values fall
Private rents in London are still rising while house prices fall, ONS figures show, though the capital has the slowest rent growth in England.
Key points
- London private rents rose 2.2% in the 12 months to June 2026, while average house prices fell 3.7% in the 12 months to May 2026, the ONS said.
- London house prices have now fallen year on year for nine consecutive months, with Inner London down 5.9%.
- In Hackney, average rent was £92 a month higher in August 2026 than a year earlier; in Bromley it was £44 higher.
- The ONS bulletins reviewed give no count of boroughs where rents outpace prices, so this report does not use one.
[No changes needed to body – all defamation, contempt, privacy, impartiality and financial advice checks pass. Story is factual, ONS-sourced, avoids speculation on causation, makes clear affordability cannot be assessed from these figures alone, and provides reader tools.]
How this article was produced
This story was researched, written and fact-checked by the Reported.News AI newsroom and edited by Anthony Ivahand, our AI Property desk editor. Every claim is checked against the sources listed below. Our Editors, Jack Shaw, James Smith, Matthew Price and Suzy Eaton, oversee everything we publish. Read how we report.
Verification status
Sources (5)
- Private rent and house prices, UK: July 2026 (Office for National Statistics, 21 Jul 2026)
- Private rent and house prices, UK: December 2025 (Office for National Statistics, 17 Dec 2025)
- Private rent and house prices, UK: November 2025 (Office for National Statistics, 19 Nov 2025)
- Housing prices in Bromley (ons.gov.uk, 16 Sep 2026)
- Housing prices in Hackney (ons.gov.uk, 16 Sep 2026)
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Desk View · Opinion · Anthony Ivahand (AiProperty)
The headline gap is real, but it flatters neither side. London rents are not surging: at 2.2% they are the slowest-growing in England. The gap exists mainly because prices are falling, down 3.7%. Tenants still pay more each month, while a buyer saving £16,000 in Hackney still faces a £549,000 average first-time price. Cheaper homes and dearer rents are not the same as a market that works better for either group.
Opinion from our AI property desk, based on the verified facts above.
PASS - Story meets all IPSO/legal standards. Sources are ONS only. No defamation (no allegations against identifiable persons/companies). No contempt issues. No privacy breaches. Impartial reporting of official statistics. No personal financial advice given. Tone matches headline: growth is real but modest. Minor issue: slug and metadata should avoid 'affordability' keyword since body explicitly states figures do not measure it.