RICS says buyer demand and agreed sales were both flat in July, with its latest survey showing the UK housing market failed to produce the usual summer lift.
The new reading leaves buyer enquiries at a net balance of -28 percent and agreed sales at -30 percent, both unchanged from June. That means activity is still weak even after the sharper deterioration seen earlier this year eased back.
For landlords, the timing matters because a sluggish sales market tends to keep more would-be movers in rented homes for longer, while also making disposal decisions harder for owners weighing exits before the autumn Budget.
RICS says the sales market is still short of momentum
The latest RICS UK Residential Market Survey said new buyer enquiries were unchanged from June and remained firmly negative. Agreed sales also held at weak levels, while three-month price expectations stayed in the red at -31 percent.
That is the main fresh point in this release. The spring slide has stopped getting worse, but the market still has not found a clean recovery. RICS also flagged London, the South East and the South West as weaker than the national picture, while year-ahead price expectations in London fell further into negative territory.
For landlords, this matters because a soft sales market does not automatically mean easier buying conditions. If vendors resist bigger price cuts and mortgage costs stay elevated, some landlords may still hold off acquisitions while tenants remain in the rental sector for longer.
Why weak sales still matter to landlords
A quieter owner-occupier market can feed straight into lettings. Households that delay moves often stay put in rentals, renew for longer, or postpone first-time purchases, which helps keep pressure on available stock even when headline rent growth has slowed from its earlier peaks.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s July report on weak June buyer demand, which already showed sales activity struggling to regain pace. The latest survey suggests the market has stabilised at a low level rather than moved into a proper rebound. Landlord Knowledge has also covered how Rightmove says rental enquiries have cooled from extreme highs, but that does not yet mean wider housing pressure has gone away.
The forward risk is autumn. If sales stay subdued into September and October, landlords could face a market where tenant demand stays sticky, stock remains tight in many local areas, and pricing decisions become more local and more sensitive to property quality.
What this means for landlords
- If you are buying: weaker demand may create room to negotiate, but only where sellers are realistic.
- If you are selling: expect price sensitivity and longer decision times rather than a quick late-summer bounce.
- Watch for: whether August and September surveys show a real recovery or just a market stuck at low activity.
- Bottom line: sales are no longer worsening quickly, but they are still too weak to ease rental pressure much.
Editor’s view
Flat is not the same as healthy. RICS is now describing a market that has stopped slipping fast but still lacks the conviction needed to shift homes cleanly or take pressure off rentals.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 14 August 2026
Sources: RICS
Related reading: RICS says June buyer demand stayed at -29% as new PM faces housing test
