What is happening to UK buy to let rents now – and what could happen over the next 12 months?
UK Buy-to-Let Rents: Current Trends & 12-Month Outlook
The UK buy to let market is continuing to change as landlords, tenants and property investors adjust to higher borrowing costs and evolving legislation. For expats considering an expat mortgage, rental income remains a vital factor when assessing a UK property investment.
According to the latest report from Zoopla, the average UK rent has reached £1,321 per month, following annual growth of 2.1%. However, this headline figure hides significant differences across the country.
Rents are increasing by 5% or more in more affordable areas, where average rents are below £750 per month. In contrast, rental growth in more expensive cities is closer to the national average.
Another positive development for renters is that average earnings are growing at around twice the rate of rents. This has improved rental affordability for the third consecutive year.
London remains an exception, with rental demand rising by 6%. Higher mortgage rates are however encouraging more people to remain in rented accommodation, rather than move into home ownership. This too will be supporting rental demand
The number of available rental properties is still 20% to 30% below pre-pandemic levels across every region.
What could happen next?
Zoopla expects UK rental inflation of around 2% to 3% throughout 2026. For investors considering an expat buy to let, this points towards steady rental growth.
Recent legislative changes restricting how landlords can increase rents may also influence future returns. Some landlords are reportedly looking to “future proof” tenancies and rental yields, as they assess their investment strategies.
For expats considering international mortgages, understanding local UK buy to let rental rates, borrowing costs and the wider UK housing market will remain essential when deciding where to invest.
« Back to News
Latest News
- What is happening to UK buy to let rents now – and what could happen over the next 12 months?
- UK buy to Let house prices and expat mortgage rates: What’s next in 2026?
- Expat Buy to Let in 2026: Renters’ Rights Bill & Expat Mortgages Guide
- Ground rents to be capped at £250 a year, as rules changed to favour of leasehold owners.
- Record price jump: UK Housing market update January 2026
- UK housing market: Poised for a new wave of activity in 2026
- Expat mortgages: How to borrow against a UK property while living abroad
- Foreign buyers snap up over 250,000 homes in Spain in two years
- Renting in London: three reasons why expat buy to let landlords are winning
- UK rents show steep rise outside of London
- UK property market update – A pause before the election?
- Maintaining your UK Mortgage as an Expat – 2024
- Falling UK expat mortgage rates and record numbers of sellers boost housing market
- Rightmove reports record number of sellers come to market on Boxing Day
- Average UK rent rises outstripped inflation by more than a third during past year, according to The DPS Rental Index
- Zoopla reports number of UK homes for sale at a six-year high, best buyers’ market for years
- Better expat mortgage rates lift property enquiries but poses fixed or variable rate expat mortgage question
- Where next for UK expat mortgage rates?
- Falling UK house prices and steeply rising rental yields spurs expat buy to let enquiries, reports broker
- Great time for US dollar earners and US residents to invest in European real estate
- Good news for expat UK house buyers, as expat mortgage rates start to ease
- Falling house prices, high mortgage rates – should UK expats buy a house now?
- The 5 cheapest cities for first-time buyers
- Why getting a mortgage in France is now so much easier for buyers from the USA than the UK
- Green shoots appearing in UK property market, good news for expat house buyers
- UK Housing asking prices see smallest February increase on record
- Optimistic signs in expat buy to let market as mortgages rates fall and prices stabilise
- Expat UK property investing: Three positive signs, thinks broker
- Expat buy to let market still strong after two rate rises, says broker
- Recovery and strength in the UK housing market for 2022?
- Expat broker optimistic on post Covid UK buy to let housing market
- Broker warns over mortgage payment holidays
- Buying UK buy to let property after lockdown – expats will have the upper hand, thinks broker
- Expat lenders react to keep expat mortgage deal flowing during COVID-19 crisis
- Coronavirus impact on UK housing might be short lived, thinks expat mortgage broker
- Getting a mortgage whilst living abroad or getting a mortgage after you have moved abroad.
- What Happens when my UK Expat Mortgage Expires?
- Buy to let bargains abound, thanks to Brexit effect, thinks broker
- Expats increasingly vulnerable to new build deposit loss
- UK house hunters lead 6% growth in French non-resident property transactions
- Expat Buy to Let Mortgage Rates Cut Again
- Brexit fears give expats the edge, as UK buyers shun property
- Mortgage tax changes in Spain help buyers
- Expat mortgage broker predicts banks will not pass on full Base Rate rise to mortgage holders.
- Falling Expat Mortgage Interest Rates and Weak UK Housing Market Favour Expat Buyers
- UK property beats pensions, says UK official study
- Taxes for UK expat landlords might not be so hard after all
- Why a sinking pound need not scupper your French property dream
- Is it time to add UK university fees to your expat mortgage?
- Resurgent Spanish property market prompts new mortgage launches