Rents rise 5% as landlord voids lengthen

Landlords faced an extra eight days between tenancies in October, despite UK rents rising by 5% over the year, research reveals.

Goodlord’s latest Rent Index puts the average void period at 28 days, up from 20 in September.

Annual rent growth held at 5% for the second consecutive month.

However, monthly increases slowed, with rents rising by 0.6% compared with September’s 0.9%.

Renters’ Rights Act impact

The platform’s chief executive, William Reeve, said: “The headline figures this month haven’t changed: rental inflation continues apace and the market is putting the squeeze on tenant incomes.

“As predicted, we believe that this rental inflation is an unintended consequence of the Renters’ Rights Act; factors including the ban on over-bidding and annual rent reviews are combining to push up rents, compounded by continuing constraints on supply.”

He added: “However, the underlying metrics point to the likelihood of a cooler few months ahead, as month-on-month price rises lose some of their heat and voids start to lengthen.

“The winter is often the slowest period of the year for the lettings market, although this seasonal predictability has been clouded by a range of impacting factors over the last year, namely the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act.”

Gaps between tenancies

Properties in Wales stood empty longest between tenancies, averaging 34 days, followed by Yorkshire and the Humber at 32.

Greater London had the shortest void periods, although landlords there still waited an average of 25 days.

In the North East, the gap stretched from 11 days in September to 28 in October.

Across the UK, October’s average was also a week longer than the 21 days recorded a year earlier.

Annual rent increases

Average monthly rents reached £1,592, compared with £1,516 in October 2025, adding £912 to tenants’ annual costs.

The North East recorded the largest annual increase at 14.2%, while the East of England was the only region where rents fell over the year.

Despite that annual fall, the East of England joined every other region monitored by the index in recording a monthly rise.

Yorkshire and the Humber led October’s monthly increases at 2.1%, reversing September’s dip.