Hello Neighbour

01/09/2026

Rent inflation has come down from 9.1% at its peak in March 2024 to 3.7% in the 12 months to July 2026.

Our chairman Phil Shelley went back through ten years of evidence to work out what moves rents. Three things do: demand, supply, and what tenants can afford. Over the decade it was demand that moved, and migration moved demand.

Net migration peaked at 944,000 in the year to March 2023 and ran at 171,000 in the year to December 2025, with rents following about a year behind.

Demand has clearly turned since. Our own viewing requests have halved in three years, from 69 per property in 2023 to 34 in 2026.

His read for the next stretch is moderate growth, roughly in line with wages. Not another surge, and not a correction.
Full piece, with every source shown:

Rents are set by demand, supply and affordability. What the ONS, MHCLG, Zoopla and Build to Rent numbers actually show about the last decade, and what comes next.

13/08/2026

Looking at our own data at Hello Neighbour, London advertised rents were up 8.7% year on year in July, with rents rising every month since the April trough.

Advertised is the important word. Demand went the other way. Enquiries per property fell to 34, down from 43 in June, in the month that is normally the busiest of the London year. We saw 50 last July, 51 in 2024 and 93 in 2023.

Asking prices rising while demand falls is not how a rental market behaves.

Since 1 May, landlords cannot accept an offer above the advertised asking price, so the listing price is looking to be a starting point rather than the final rent. Our figures are advertised rents on properties currently on the market, not achieved rents. On achieved rents, HomeLet has London at 6.0%. The gap between the two has gone from 1.4 points to 2.7 in a month.

The demand fall is not all down to the Act, and falling net migration is the larger structural driver. And we are not suggesting landlords price high at the outset: with demand down a third, the void risk outweighs the headroom.

Full breakdown here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0xD45_0

02/07/2026

London rents were up 6.4% year on year in June.

Third month of increases in a row, and the strongest reading of 2026.

But here is the number that matters more: averaged across the last three months, rents are essentially flat, down around 1%. This is a market that has steadied after a sharp spring correction,
not one climbing again.

A few things stood out:

Demand hit its 2026 high. Enquiries per property rose to 43, up from 37 in May. For the first time this year, demand is clearly ahead of the same month in 2025 (40). Still below 2024 (51) and 2023 (80), but the direction is encouraging.

The Renters' Rights Act is now shaping the data. Since 1st May, landlords can no longer accept offers above the advertised asking price. The likely response is more landlords listing higher from the start, which could inflate the headline figures before it reflects what tenants are actually paying.
Too early to say for sure, but we are watching it closely.

Full breakdown on the blog here https://hubs.li/Q04nrymg0

17/06/2026

It is great to see our published research on landlord economics getting picked up by The Times this morning! https://hubs.li/Q04lH3_z0

The short version:

UK landlord returns are tighter than they have been in years. We modelled 8 work scenarios across London and Manchester and found that only ONE beats an easy-access Cash ISA on income alone: a mortgaged Manchester landlord who manages their own property at a 5.04% return on equity.

A few other findings:
→ The same landlord using a high-street agent in London actually loses £1,440 a year on a mortgaged property
→ Switching from agent to DIY saves around £2,200 a year on a Manchester average rent and £5,334 on a London average rent
→ Maintenance costs are up 26% since 2022
House price growth over the next 5 years (Savills forecast 18.5% to 2030) will lift most scenarios slightly above a Cash ISA, but only with capital growth doing the heavy lifting. On income alone, the maths is tight.
The two biggest avoidable costs are the letting agent fee and reactive repairs. Take control of both of those and the maths starts to work again.

Full 28-page report (free, ungated) linked https://https://hubs.li/Q04lG_xV0

05/05/2026

London rents just had their steepest annual fall we've recorded.

April rental values down 10.9% year on year, accelerating from March's 7.6% decline. A quick read from properties letting right now.

April is usually one of the busiest months in the London lettings calendar. Previous years recorded 67, 62 and 40 enquiries per property in 2023, 2024 and 2025. April 2026 came in at 29, down from 30 in March, 32 in February and 36 in January. A clear break from the seasonal pattern, but still more than double the Rightmove average of 12.

Affordability is doing the heavy lifting. With rents close to 11% down year on year, landlords are pricing more realistically to secure the right tenants quickly.

The picture matches wider national trends. Zoopla's latest UK Rental Market Index points to weakening demand, improving supply and slower rental growth, with lower migration and a stronger first time buyer market cited as drivers. What our April data adds is that this rebalancing is happening more sharply at the new-let end of the London market, where rents had run furthest ahead of affordability.

The Renters' Rights Act is in force from today. Our full RRA resources, including our recent webinar with Suzanne Smith of The Independent Landlord: hello-neighbour.com/renters-rights-home

Full April update on the blog: hello-neighbour.com/insights/hello-neighbour-insights-london-rental-prices-down-10.9-in-apr-26

16/04/2026

We are delighted to see Hello Neighbour's chairman, Phil Shelley, featured in an important article in The Times on letting agent fees. https://hubs.li/Q04cpnLK0

This is an issue we have been campaigning on for some time. It sits at the heart of our mission to change lettings for good. Landlords deserve far greater clarity on what they are being charged and why.

With the Renters' Rights Act coming into force on 1 May, we are calling for total transparency across the industry. Every agent should publish their Terms of Business clearly and in full so landlords can make genuinely informed decisions.

A more open and honest market is better for landlords, better for tenants and better for trust in the sector as a whole.

09/04/2026

Following the strong response to our first session, we’re hosting another exclusive, extended live webinar on the Renters’ Rights Act ahead of its implementation on 1 May 2026.

When: Wednesday 15 April | 11:00 – 12:15 | Online

The Renters’ Rights Act is bringing significant change for landlords, and many are still asking what it means in practice and how to stay compliant without losing control.
That’s why we’re once again joined by Suzanne Smith, best-selling author and founder of The Independent Landlord, alongside the Hello Neighbour team for a second live Q&A focused on practical steps you can take now.

What we’ll cover:
• Recap of the Renters’ Rights Act
• What landlords need to do between now and the end of May 2026
• Extended Q&A from the audience

Suzanne is one of the most trusted independent voices in the sector, and this session is designed to give landlords clarity, confidence, and control ahead of the changes.

Reserve your place: https://hubs.li/Q04b8fR30

If you missed the first session or want to go deeper, this is your final opportunity before the new rules come into force.

26/03/2026

Is Rent and Legal Protection Worth it?

Listen to our free webinar this Friday to find out: https://hubs.li/Q048r7w50

Right now:
• Possession delays have reached 25 weeks
• Nearly 1 in 3 tenants are struggling to pay rent
• Section 21 is set to be removed from 1st of May

From 1 May, the landscape will shift. Possession claims will rely on Section 8 grounds, potentially with longer timelines and up to 3 months’ rent arrears required for arrears-based claims.

As rent guarantee and legal expenses insurance can help landlords reduce some of the additional risks that the Renters’ Right Act brings, we’re holding a free webinar this Friday (27 March, 12pm). We will be joined by Lee Power from Alan Boswell Group, who insure over 100,000 properties, and will cover:

→ The potential impact of the Renters' Rights Act on rent arrears and possession claims
→ What rent guarantee & legal expenses insurance actually pays out
→ Real case studies, including one landlord who lost £60,000 in legal costs
→ Live Q&A with Lee

Whether you're a first-time landlord or managing a portfolio, this is one hour that could save you thousands.

Register here: https://hubs.li/Q048r7w50

Can’t make Friday? Register anyway and we’ll send you the recording.

11/03/2026

The Good Landlord Handbook, published by The Independent Landlord.

Huge Congratulations to our Independent Non-executive Director, Suzanne Smith - The Independent Landlord.

She has just published The Good Landlord Handbook, which promises to be the go-to book on all things letting.

With under 2 months until the Renters' Rights Act comes into force, the book is perfectly timed for any landlord who wants to understand precisely what they should be doing to meet this new regulation.

The Good Landlord Handbook, paperback version, is an Amazon #1 bestseller, as is the Kindle version. There is a digital version available as well. [link to her website]

Hello Neighbour has benefited hugely from her guidance and wise counsel for the last year, and we are delighted she is bringing her undoubted expertise to a much wider audience.

We highly recommend picking up a copy!

02/03/2026

February Lettings Insights from Hello Neighbour

In February, average rents in London rose 3.7% year-on-year.

At the same time, the number of enquiries per property continued to fall, with 32 enquiries recorded in February 2026, one of the lowest levels we have seen over the past three years.

We expect rents to remain broadly flat in the coming months, much as they did in the second half of last year. We expect the number of enquiries per property to increase as we move into the summer months, following a similar trend to previous years, but continuing to remain lower than in prior years.

You can read the blog here. https://hubs.li/Q045bN5f0