UK House Prices Rose 2.0 Per Cent to £272,000 in June as Rents Climbed Faster

ONS figures show annual house price growth slowed from 3.0 per cent in May 2026 while private rent inflation accelerated to 3.7 per cent in July 2026, squeezing tenants harder than buyers.

Average UK house prices rose 2.0 per cent in the 12 months to June 2026, reaching close to £272,000, according to figures posted by the Office for National Statistics. That’s a noticeable step down from the 3.0 per cent annual growth recorded in the 12 months to May 2026, when the average price stood at around £271,000. But while house price growth is easing, private rents are moving in the opposite direction — up 3.7 per cent in the 12 months to July 2026, to an average of £1,393 per month, compared with 3.3 per cent growth in the 12 months to June 2026.

The rental figure matters in context. Overall inflation, measured by the Consumer Prices Index including owner occupiers’ housing costs (CPIH), stood at 2.8 per cent in June 2026 — itself down from 3.0 per cent in May. Private rent inflation at 3.7 per cent is running well above that headline rate, meaning tenants are seeing their housing costs outpace the broader cost of living. The ONS notes that the July 2026 rent figures are provisional and may be revised after full publication of the relevant statistical bulletin.

For Kent households, the South East context sharpens the picture. ONS data for June 2026 puts the average monthly private rent across England at £1,446 — already above the UK-wide figure of £1,388 that month — and the South East, which includes Kent, typically sits above many other English regions. Areas within commuting distance of London, including Dartford, Sevenoaks and Tunbridge Wells, have historically seen stronger house price growth than the national average, so even with the national rate slowing to 2.0 per cent, affordability pressures in those parts of Kent are likely to remain acute. Where Local Housing Allowance rates have not kept pace with market rents, private tenants on lower incomes face a widening gap between what they receive in support and what landlords are charging.

Wales saw the sharpest rent rise among the nations in June 2026, up 4.9 per cent year-on-year to an average of £843 per month. Scotland recorded 1.3 per cent growth to around £1,012, while England’s 3.4 per cent rise brought the average to £1,446. The figures show a housing market pulling in two directions — moderating prices offering some relief to prospective buyers, while renters face a faster squeeze.