England’s rents fell before the Renters’ Rights Act took affect

Average rents in England slipped in April with landlords preparing for the Renters’ Rights Act coming into force.

The Goodlord Rental Index puts the average cost of a new tenancy at £1,205, down from £1,212 in March, a fall of 0.6%.

Compared with April last year, rents were 1.7% higher, when the average stood at £1,185.

That is the lowest annual increase recorded by the index since July 2025, when annual growth was 1.4%.

Rents in ‘holding pattern’

The firm’s chief executive, William Reeve, said: “We’re entering a very different rental market to the one we’ve grown used to over the past few years.

“Whilst we don’t typically expect to see rapid month-on-month inflation in the early part of the year, a drop in rents – coupled with a first quarter which saw very limited price increases – points to a rental market in a holding pattern.”

He added: “This is the final rental index containing figures recorded before the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act.

“What we’re seeing in April’s data is that stakeholders have been in a defensive crouch, anticipating the impact of regulatory changes.

“With the new legislation now in force, the big question is whether this cooler backdrop gives the sector a chance to reset on a more sustainable footing – or whether the shock of new rules jolts supply, demand and therefore prices back into a more volatile phase.”

RRA affected rents

April also marked the last full month of data before the Renters’ Rights Act took effect in England.

The sharpest monthly fall was in the North East, where average rents dropped by 4.9%, from £820 in March to £780 in April.

Rents also fell by 2.8% in both the West Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber, while the South East recorded a 1.6% fall, from £1,403 to £1,381.

London’s average rents rose by 1.3% during April, while the East Midlands saw the largest monthly increase, with rents rising from £947 to £973, a 2.7% jump.

In March, Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and the North East recorded yearly increases of 6.6%, 6.3% and 5.9% respectively.

By April, those figures had fallen to 2.5% in Yorkshire and the Humber, 2.8% in the North West and -0.9% in the North East.

Biggest rent rise

Greater London recorded the highest annual increase in April, with rents up 4.8% compared with the same month last year.

The East Midlands followed, with rents 4% higher than in April 2025.

Four regions recorded annual falls in average rents: the North East, South West, West Midlands and East of England.

Goodlord said annual rent inflation in April was less than half the 4.5% recorded in the same month last year.

It was also below the 2.4% annual increase recorded in March.

Voids lengthen

Voids also lengthened during April, rising from 22 to 24 days after remaining unchanged in March.

The East of England saw the biggest increase, with voids rising from 16 to 25 days.

London recorded the quickest turnaround between tenancies, at 17 days, a week below the England average.

Yorkshire and the Humber had the longest voids in April, with properties vacant for an average of 29 days between lets.