Rents rise, Bank Rate holds, and four deadlines draw closer

What is still provisional

No new house price figures have been published since the 16 September release, and that release restated the June figure. The 20 August release had June 2026 at an average of £272,188, an index of 104.3, +0.1% on the month and 2.0% on the year. The 16 September release puts June at £270,677, an index of 103.7, -0.5% on the month and 1.5% on the year. May 2026 was also restated: its year-on-year rate was 2.7% in the 23 July release and 3.0% in the 20 August release. Figures can move between releases, which is why every period still open is treated as provisional.

9 reference periods remain provisional and can still be revised: 2025-11, 2025-12, 2026-01, 2026-02, 2026-03, 2026-04, 2026-05, 2026-06, 2026-07. UK House Price Index estimates carry a 12-month provisional window (HM Land Registry guidance, updated 16 December 2025; ONS, 17 June 2026), during which figures are restated as more transactions register.

The next window closes on 2026-11-01, for 2025-11. Until then every figure in it is subject to change, including ones already quoted elsewhere as final.

Your property gained ground in July — here is what that does to your LTV

The UK average house price reached £272,611 in July 2026 (HM Land Registry UK House Price Index), up 0.7% on the month and 1.4% on the year. The month before, the average was £270,677, with a month-on-month move of -0.5%, so this July reading is a genuine recovery in the index — the HPI stands at 104.5, up from 103.7 in June.

For you as a landlord, what matters most here is not the national headline — it is what this means for your loan-to-value ratio when you next remortgage. If your property has moved broadly in line with the national trend, the equity cushion you carry into that conversation is modestly wider than it was three months ago. That matters if you are near a threshold — say, the difference between a 75% LTV and an 80% LTV product — because lenders price those bands differently. Check the current valuation against your outstanding balance before you approach a broker: you may be sitting in a better band than you think.

Bank Rate at 3.75% — what a landlord coming off a fix is actually rolling onto

The Bank Rate stands at 3.75%, as of 1 October 2026. SONIA stands at 3.7329%, as of 30 September 2026. These are the prevailing benchmark levels — not rate-decision events, and not live market quotes.

For mortgage costs, the Bank of England monthly average for August 2026 gives a clearer picture of what landlords are actually being quoted: the average two-year fixed rate was 4.92%, the average five-year fix was 4.78%, and the average variable rate was 6.58%. If you are coming off a fix arranged two or five years ago, the fix you roll onto is determined by what lenders are pricing now — but that spread between a 4.92% two-year fix and a 6.58% variable rate tells you plainly that staying on a lender's standard variable rate is the more expensive outcome. Even a short fixed term is likely to cost less than drift. If your current fix expires in the next six months, start the conversation with a broker now: most lenders allow you to lock a rate three to six months in advance, protecting you if rates move up before your deal ends.

The North leads, London slides — what your area's move means for your equity

Regional performance in July 2026 split sharply. At the top end, Northern Ireland recorded 9.2% annual growth with an average price of £202,487, and the North East was up 4.9% to £166,943. The North West gained 4.4% to £221,445. Yorkshire and The Humber rose 3.0% to £209,116, and Wales added 2.6% to £215,037.

At the other end of the table, London fell 3.3% year-on-year to £550,037 — the only English region in negative annual territory in July. The South West slipped 0.2% to £302,298. The East of England was up just 0.5% to £337,518, and the South East edged 0.2% higher to £380,878. For landlords in London or the South West, a falling price is not a buying signal — it is a revaluation of your equity, and it is the number your lender will use at remortgage. If you are in one of these regions and your fix is expiring in the next twelve months, get a current valuation now so you know which LTV band you are actually in before the conversation with your lender starts.

New NPPF is in force — what it changes for local supply and your own property

The revised National Planning Policy Framework introduced in 2026 is described by commentators as the most significant update since the framework's introduction in 2012. For a landlord who already owns and is not developing, the most relevant element is its effect on local housing supply — specifically, a strengthened brownfield-first approach and new provisions for 'grey belt' land, which allow development on lower-quality Green Belt land subject to affordable housing requirements. More homes coming to your local market over the medium term can affect both the rents tenants are willing to pay and the valuations lenders use at remortgage, so it is worth tracking what your local authority's emerging plan says about allocations near your property.

On permitted development, the NPPF changes do not themselves alter the rights attached to your existing property — those remain governed by the General Permitted Development Order. If you are thinking about converting space within your property (a loft, an outbuilding, or a change of use), the position is governed by your local authority's specific conditions and any Article 4 directions in your area. If your property is in an area with an Article 4 direction — common across many urban landlord markets — check before you start any work, as permitted development rights can be removed locally without much notice.

Four obligations, four deadlines — the compliance calendar every landlord needs on the wall

Renters' Rights Act — in force since 1 May 2026. Section 21 no-fault eviction is abolished. Every tenancy is now a periodic assured tenancy — your fixed-term agreements converted automatically on that date. Rent review clauses are banned. Section 13 is now the only lawful route to increase rent: you must give at least two months' notice on Form 4A, you may only raise rent once per year, and your tenant can challenge the amount at a tribunal. For the full Section 13 procedure see /compliance/section-13-rent-increases. For the wider Act see /compliance/renters-rights-act.

PRS Database — registration opens 15 December 2026. The government confirmed a regional rollout of the 'Register your rental property' service, starting in the West Midlands on 15 December 2026 and moving through England region by region. Once your region goes live, you have a three-month window to register. The national deadline for all actively let properties to be registered is 14 November 2027. The fee is £65 per property per year, renewed annually — so if you have three properties, that is £195 a year. Maximum penalties for non-compliance reach £40,000. Registration is mandatory for every private landlord in England letting under an assured tenancy. See /compliance/prs-database-registration for the full regional timetable.

Making Tax Digital for Income Tax — live from 6 April 2026. If your gross income from property and self-employment combined exceeds £50,000, you are already in scope: you must keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software. The threshold steps down to £30,000 from April 2027, and to £20,000 from April 2028. If you are not yet using MTD-compatible software and your income is above £50,000, you are non-compliant today — act now. See /compliance/making-tax-digital-landlords.

EPC C by 2030. The government has confirmed that private landlords in England and Wales must not let a property that fails to achieve an EPC C rating from 2030. This is a firm policy commitment and an upgrade from the current minimum of EPC E. Around 48% of private rented homes already meet the standard — if yours does not, you have time to plan, but contractor lead times and costs are rising as the deadline approaches. See /compliance/epc-c-2030 for what counts toward the rating and how to prioritise improvements.

Your rent income rose 3.8% in the year to August — but the North East is running nearly twice as fast as the South East

The ONS put the UK average monthly private rent at £1,400 in August 2026, up 3.8% on the year. The month before, the average was £1,393, with annual growth of 3.7% — so rent growth has nudged slightly higher rather than stalled. England as a whole averaged £1,459 per month, up 4.0% on the year.

The regional spread within England tells a more varied story. The North East led all English regions with annual growth of 5.8% — the fastest of the nine English regions measured — while the South East sat at the bottom of the English range at 3.0%. That is a 2.8 percentage-point gap across England, which means where you let matters considerably more than the national headline suggests. North West landlords saw 5.8% annual growth to an average of £969 a month; West Midlands was up 4.9% to £982; Yorkshire and The Humber gained 4.9% to £865. At the lower end, South East rents averaged £1,426, up 3.0%; London averaged £2,332, up 3.5%.

If you are thinking about a rent review, these figures are the foundation of the Section 13 case you build. The statutory requirement is that your proposed rent does not exceed the market rate for the area — and the ONS regional figures, plus the more granular data at /rent-guides, are exactly the evidence a tribunal would look at. Serve Form 4A with at least two months' notice, increase no more than once in any twelve-month period, and make sure your proposed rent is benchmarked against your local area's published figure.

Where the upside already sits in what you own — rent, efficiency, and the fix on the clock

If you have not reviewed your rent in the past twelve months, the ONS figure of £1,400 nationally — and higher for England at £1,459 — is your starting point. A property sitting materially below its area's published ONS average is leaving money on the table that you are entitled, under Section 13, to reclaim with proper notice. Check your current rent against the relevant figure at /rent-guides: if you are running 10% or more below the local benchmark, a compliant Section 13 increase is worth preparing before the market moves further ahead of you.

On EPC, the 2030 deadline is close enough to act but far enough that you still have pricing power. Landlords who upgrade insulation and glazing now — while contractor demand is building but not yet peak — are likely to pay less than those who leave it to 2028 or 2029 when every landlord in England and Wales is chasing the same trades at the same time. If your property is currently rated D or below, getting a new EPC assessment and a quote for the cheapest route to a C rating is a practical use of the next few months.

Finally, if you are on a variable rate — the Bank of England monthly average for August 2026 was 6.58% — the comparison to a two-year fix at 4.92% or a five-year fix at 4.78% over the same period is stark. At today's rents, the difference between a variable and a fixed product on a typical buy-to-let balance is likely to be hundreds of pounds a year. That is recoverable income, not a permanent loss — but only if you act before your next statement.

What to do this week

1. Check your LTV band before your fix expires. The UK average price moved from £270,677 in June to £272,611 in July. If your property is in the North East, North West, or Northern Ireland — where annual growth ran at 4.9%, 4.4%, and 9.2% respectively — your equity is wider than a year ago. Get a current valuation and compare it to your outstanding mortgage balance: if you are near a lender's LTV threshold (typically 60%, 75%, or 80%), the right band may save you a meaningful amount on your rate.

2. If you are on a variable rate, contact a broker this week. The Bank of England monthly average variable rate for August 2026 was 6.58%, against a two-year fix average of 4.92% and a five-year fix average of 4.78%. The gap is large enough to justify a review even if your fix has not yet expired — most lenders allow a rate lock three to six months ahead.

3. Benchmark your rent against the ONS figure for your region. UK average private rent is £1,400 per month as of August 2026. Use /rent-guides to find the figure for your specific area and bedroom count. If you are more than 10% below the local benchmark, prepare a Section 13 notice on Form 4A and give at least two months' notice. You can only increase rent once every twelve months under the Renters' Rights Act.

4. Check whether Making Tax Digital applies to you now. MTD for Income Tax has been live since 6 April 2026 for landlords with gross income above £50,000. If you are in scope and not yet using HMRC-recognised software, you are non-compliant today. See /compliance/making-tax-digital-landlords.

5. Note the PRS Database registration date — 15 December 2026. The 'Register your rental property' service opens on that date, starting in the West Midlands. The fee is £65 per property per year. Your window to register once your region goes live is three months. The national deadline is 14 November 2027. Check /compliance/prs-database-registration for when your region opens.

6. Book an EPC assessment if your property is rated D or below. The government has confirmed private lets in England and Wales must reach EPC C by 2030. Contractor demand will rise sharply as the deadline approaches. Acting now while you have a choice of trades and competitive pricing is the lower-cost route.