Rent increases falling as pay goes up says new data

With rent controls continuing to dominate the news agenda since the formation of the new Government, the NRLA has argued that the introduction of such measures would only worsen the private rented sector's supply crisis.

The NRLA's arguments were made in a statement setting out the organisation's take on the publication of new rental data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Responding to the ONS statistics, which show that average private sector rents increased by 3.3 per cent in the year to June 2026, Chris Norris, Chief Policy Officer for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) has said:

“At a time when there is growing speculation about the introduction of rent controls, today’s figures show that rent increases continue to slow significantly.

“The annual rate of rental growth has fallen by almost two thirds since the current Housing Secretary warned that rent controls would hurt tenants. At the same time, average earnings continue to grow faster than rents.

“As the reappointed Housing Minister has recognised, the evidence from the UK and overseas is clear: rent controls reduce the supply of homes to rent and ultimately leave tenants worse off. It would further undermine the Government’s welcome mission to end rough sleeping as access to the sector became harder for those who most need it.”

-ENDS-

Notes:

• The Office for National Statistics has today reported that average private sector rents across the UK increased by 3.3% in the year to June 2026. In contrast, in the year to October 2024 rents increased by 8.7%. This was when the Housing Secretary, Angela Rayner MP noted that: “Rent controls restrict housing supply, which does not help anyone.” 
• In contrast to the 3.3% increase in rents, the ONS has also reported that average monthly pay increased by 4.3% in the year to June 2026.
• The re-appointed Housing Minister, Matthew Pennycook MP, told the House of Commons in April this year: “There is sufficient international evidence from countries such as Sweden and Germany, and from individual cities such as San Francisco, as well as the recent Scottish experience, to attest to the potential detrimental impacts of rent controls on tenants.”
• In its recent report on conditions in the private rented sector the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee concluded that it was “not currently convinced that stricter measures to stabilise rents would be a proportionate step” due to the “potential consequences this could have on the supply of affordable properties."
• Further information about the NRLA can be found at www.nrla.org.uk.  It posts on X @NRLAssociation.
• The NRLA’s press office can be contacted by emailing [email protected] or by calling 0300 131 6363.