Latest: April property market report

April is a fascinating month in the property calendar. Not only did we have two bank holidays, which encouraged property viewings and hastened moving plans, we had a raft of data showing us how the first quarter of 2026 shaped up. The first observation was an important one.

TwentyCi’s Q1 2026 Property & Homemover Report claimed it was cheaper to buy a home than rent. The analysis looked at how much UK homeowners save, with the figures reported to be £493 per month when compared to tenants. The saving was almost £1,000 in London.

Mortgage payments cheaper than rents

The news surprised many, with inflation and fluctuating mortgage rates as background influences. The data, however, revealed the cost of paying a mortgage is cheaper than renting in every UK region. The report’s authors also drew attention to mortgage lenders making products with 5.5 or 6 times income multiples more readily available.

More sales making it to completion

Moving on to more quarterly news. Fall through rates – when an agreed sale fails to complete – are a good indicator of the health of the market. TwentyEA data released in April revealed fall-throughs are on a downward trend, decreasing from 24% in Q1 2025 to 23.7% in Q1 2026.

Looking at the analysis in more detail, fall-through rates fell in 10 of the UK’s 13 regions. This represented an annual reduction of -1.3%. Scotland (-6.3%) and Wales (-5.7%) showed the most pronounced drop in fall-throughs.

So, how are we starting Q2 of 2026? Rightmove was first past the post with its April House Price Index. New sellers listing on the portal upped their asking price. This increased +0.8% (+£2,929) between March and April. The UK’s new average asking price is £373,971.

The Index also showed the number of days a property is taking to find a buyer has fallen. It took 81 days back in January this year. The decline saw the figure drop to 73 days in February and 66 in March.

The rental equivalent of Rightmove’s report - the HomeLet Rental Index – also made a significant claim in April. It said UK rents rose for the first time since October 2025. The UK’s average new tenancy now costs £1,311 per month – a +0.8% rise on the last monitoring period.

Rental inflation tops 3% up north

Average annual rental inflation is running at +1.8%. Rents increased the most in Scotland (+3.6%), the North East (+3.2%) and Yorkshire & Humberside (+2.8%). Only the East of England saw annual rents fall (-1%).

While landlords are naturally interested in the rent their buy-to-let can achieve, of greater concern will be the yield. The latest news from Fleet Mortgages revealed 2026 has got off to a great start. Its Rental Barometer also reflects quarterly trends in Q1 2026.

Landlord yields increased 

Rental yields increased in every region, rising by 0.4% when compared with Q4 2025. The average yield is now 8.1%. The highest yield was recorded in the North East, at 9.8%. Several other regions, including both Midlands regions, Yorkshire and Humberside, Wales and the North West, reported yields of 8% or greater. The lowest yield was tracked in Greater London at 6.1% - a quarterly increase of 0.1%.

Healthy yields are why 8 out of 10 landlords are reporting a profit. This was the number recorded by Pegasus Money/Pegasus Insights when it analysed the current landlord sector. The research also found the average rental property generates £11,363 annually, or around £947 per month, in gross rental income. Overall, the average gross rental income from a landlord’s portfolio is £75,000 per annum. 

If you would like to know more about your local property market, please get in touch.