Verified facts
UK private rents rose by an estimated 3.8% over the year to September, unchanged from August's annual rate, the ONS reported on Wednesday.
House prices rose by an estimated 0.9% over the year to August, down from July's revised 1.2%. The rent and purchase-price statistics cover different months. Both latest estimates are provisional.
The private-rent measure covers new and existing tenancies. It is not a measure of asking rents on newly advertised properties alone. House-price growth measures changes in purchase prices, not the cost of mortgage repayments.
Apolifina analysis
Slower price growth does not mean that prices fell over the year. For buyers, affordability also depends on financing costs, income and the property being purchased.
For landlords, rental growth is not rental yield or investment profit. Costs, void periods, financing and taxes all affect the return. A national average cannot establish the prospects of a particular property or listed landlord.
Uncertainty and risk
Housing data are revised as more information arrives. Geography, property mix and data-collection differences matter. Property investments can lose value, and borrowing magnifies risk. This is not a personal property recommendation.
Primary sources
Sources released and rechecked on 21 October 2026.
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