<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=6061692&amp;fmt=gif">
Skip to content

Search the Goodlord website

  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.
0

Days

0

Hours

0

Minutes

0

Seconds

May 1 2026 - Renters' Right Act Commencement Day

You have 0 days to:

Serve any final Section 21 notices

Stop accepting above-asking rent offers

Prepare for the rental bidding ban

Remove “No DSS” from adverts

Remove “No Children” from listings

Show one clear rent price

Stop using fixed-term agreements

Switch to periodic tenancy templates

Check which tenancies go periodic

Stop taking rent before signing

Take no more than one month’s rent

Move all evictions to Section 8

Train staff on new notice rules

Create Section 13 process flow

Add two months to rent reviews

File court claims for Section 21s

Update landlord move-in grounds

Update landlord selling grounds

Send the RRA Information Sheet

Create written terms where missing

Update How to Rent processes

Review tenant screening questions

Update pet request processes

Stop backdating rent increases

Discuss rent protection backbooks

Act now before it is too late...

Act now!
Goodlord Rental Index
Goodlord Rental IndexMarch 2026
Monthly key figures for the private rented sector

Welcome to Goodlord's March 2026 Rental Index.

Jack Wilson headshot

Every month, Goodlord reveals key figures for the private rented sector based on tenancies processed through our platform, including average rents, void periods, and more.

The latest Rental Index from Goodlord found that that rents in England rose slightly in March, with prices up by 0.8% compared to February's figures. Year-on-year, rents are up by 2.4%, and void periods remained at 22 days.

Jack Wilson
Data Analyst, Goodlord

Keep your landlords in the know

Help your landlords stay up to date on the latest news in the lettings industry and the rental market with our editable email newsletter template.

1. Rents climbing slowly year-on-year

The average cost of a rental property in England during March 2026 was £1,212. This is a 2.4% increase on prices recorded at the same time last year, when rents were £1,184 per property, on average.

This means that the level of annual rental inflation recorded in March 2026 is significantly lower than that seen at the same time last year. In March 2025, rents were up 4.6% year-on-year.

The data sees rental inflation continue to sit below the latest Consumer Price Inflation figures, which remained at 3.2% in February, as well as wage growth, which stands at 3.9% according to figures for March

The three regions which saw the greatest year-on-year price increases in March 2026 were Yorkshire and The Humber (6.6%), the North West (6.3%) and the North East (5.9%).

Click on region names to toggle them on and off

Average monthly rent across UK regions since January 2020.

2. Monthly rents remain steady

Month-on-month, March rents increased by only 0.8% compared to February. Rents climbed from £1,203 to a new average of £1,212, as rent prices stayed relatively stable across the country.

While the North West continues to outpace the majority of the country in terms of year-on-year inflation, prices here actually saw a significant month-on-month drop during March, following a particularly buoyant February for the region. Average rents in the North West spiked to £1,096 in February, but fell to £1,066 in March. This 2.7% price cut perhaps signifies a level of market correction, following the 4% rise seen during the previous month.

Elsewhere, the greatest month-on-month increase came in Yorkshire and The Humber, which saw rents jump 3.2%, from £930 to £959.

Click on region names to toggle them on and off

Average void periods in days across UK regions since January 2020.

3. Voids stayed the same in March

Voids - the length of time a property is vacant between lets - remained consistent at 22 days across England in March, marking no change from February.

The greatest lengthening in void periods was seen in the North East (increasing 23 to 26 days) and the South West (moving from 18 to 21 days). The region with the fastest turnaround between tenancies in March 2026 was the East of England, where voids stood at just 16 days, almost a week shorter than the national average.

3. Tenant salaries see uplift

Average tenant salaries rose by 0.8% this month, increasing from £29,637 in July to £29,883 in August.

The age of tenants dipped slightly, taking the average down to 32. The last time the average age was this low was August 2021, reflecting the number of student renters signing tenancies in the summer months.

William Reeve, CEO of Goodlord, says:

 

“The latest figures will be welcomed by tenants, who continue to see wage growth outstrip rental inflation and rents rising less quickly than other consumer prices. Whilst minimal month-on-month changes are to be expected at this time of year, the year-on-year figures give a clear picture of a market that has significantly cooled in recent months.

“However, there’s a possibility that what we’re witnessing is the calm before the storm. With the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act now only a month away, we could simply be in a holding pattern before a torrent of new market forces are unlocked. The new legislation could see a spike in gazundering, tenants giving notice, and landlords increasing rents. In a few months, this market picture could look very different indeed.”