Renters’ Rights Act accelerated summer tenant demand
The Renters' Rights Act rush meant summer came early to the rental market, says Foxtons' lettings boss Gareth Atkins.
The busiest weeks of the summer lettings period arrived earlier than usual due to the Renters Rights Act, Foxtons claims.
The rental reforms were introduced in May and the agent’s latest Lettings Market Index suggests landlords were busy securing tenancies to start early in the summer season.
Activity was unusually spread more evenly across the summer, Foxtons said.
The Renters’ Rights Act appears to have brought some moves forward.”
Market new listings ran 2.9% ahead of last year, with August 5.2% below July.
Every month of 2026 produced more listings than the same month in 2025. Supply grew through the run-up to the Renters’ Rights Act and through the first months under it, which Foxtons says is the clearest evidence available that landlords have stayed in the London market.
Year to date, tenant registrations are 12.3% below 2025, although West London ran against the trend entirely, up 5.2% on last year.
Foxtons says competition for available property rose 22.4% in August to 24 renters registering per new instruction, the highest point of 2026. The average across the year is 17.9.
Market new listings are also 2.9% ahead of last year, with August 5.2% below July.
Changing market
Renter budgets averaged £571 per week in August, 1.9% below July, with the year-to-date figure at £561, up 0.9% on 2025, according to the index.
Central London led at £632 a week, up 4.2%, and West was the only area below last year, down 2.2%. One-bedroom flats had the largest re movement of any property type, up 3.4%.
Gareth Atkins (pictured), Managing Director of Lettings, says: “Across 2026, competition for London rental property remained steady at just under 18 renters per new listing.
“What changed was when demand arrived. The Renters’ Rights Act appears to have brought some moves forward, particularly among students, spreading activity more evenly across the summer and easing the traditional August peak.
“For landlords, that meant a longer letting window. Whether this is a lasting shift remains to be seen, with 2026 likely a year of adjustment rather than a new normal.”
