Rightmove’s latest Rental Tracker showed that average rents are set to rise by 2% this year, following last year’s trajectory, as the balance between supply and demand improves post-pandemic.
According to Rightmove, the average rent outside London fell by 1.1% in Q4 2025 and available rental properties are up 9% compared with 2024. Competition between tenants has also eased in comparison to the Covid period, with an average of ten enquiries per available property in 2025, down from 14 in the previous year.
However, a lack of available properties on the market is likely to cause upward pressure on rents over the coming months and make a plateau in prices unlikely across the region. Particularly as the majority of landlords have found that the private rented sector continues to provide strong income levels.
Commenting as part of the report, Christina Harris, Director in Cheffins Haverhill office said:
“Rental prices have been growing at pace from 2024 until 2025, however the slowdown in growth last year was caused by uncertainty in the lead up to the Budget and the release of the details of the Renters Rights Act. In general, most tenants were only moving if absolutely necessary, preferring to wait for clarity on both the Budget and new legislation.
Rental growth had been exceptionally strong for some time, well ahead of inflation, so a period of moderation was inevitable. Towards the end of last year we also saw an increase in supply, but as wages had not kept pace with rental values, affordability became a key issue for many tenants. With tenants typically needing to earn around three times the cost of rent, average rents in cities such as Cambridge were simply out of reach for some.
Supply still remains far behind where it needs to be. The consistent shortage of good quality, well-presented rental properties will no doubt put upward pressure on rents in the coming months. People still need to move for work or schools, and as the shortage of availability continues, it is likely that prices will edge up over the next year.
While many landlords were cautious in the lead up to the Renter’s Rights Act, in the main, rental properties continue to provide a good return on investment, better than what can be found in most savings accounts and we haven’t yet seen the exodus from the market from landlords which so many predicted.”
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