UK room rents were effectively flat in the first quarter of 2026, but new data from SpareRoom suggests the supply side of the flatshare market may be starting to weaken just as landlords face another regulatory change.
The flatshare platform said the average UK room rent stood at £747 per month in Q1 2026, up by just 0.1 percent on a year earlier. Outside London, the average was £668, up 0.5 percent, while London room rents edged down 0.5 percent to £978.
For landlords, the more important figure may be on supply. SpareRoom said room ad growth from landlords and letting agents in January slowed to 4.2 percent year on year, down sharply from 13.8 percent growth in January 2025. The company said that slowdown came just before the phased introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act from 1 May.
Regional rent growth remains patchy
The broad national picture was flat, but some areas still recorded clear growth. The South West posted the largest regional rise, with average room rents up 1.5 percent to £677 per month. Wales, Northern Ireland, the East Midlands and North West also saw modest annual increases.
At city level, Carlisle led the way with room rents up 8.4 percent year on year to £565, followed by Inverness at 6.9 percent and Gloucester at 6 percent. Durham, Worcester and Salisbury also recorded rises of more than 5 percent.
That matters for landlords weighing local strategy rather than relying on the national average. A flat UK headline can still hide stronger pricing in smaller cities where affordability is tighter and supply is thinner.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on rising flatsharer demand in commuter towns, which showed tenants widening their search areas as city costs stayed high. The latest figures add another layer to that trend, suggesting supply growth may now be slowing at the same time as affordability pressures remain entrenched.
Supply warning matters more than the flat headline
SpareRoom said rooms in flatshares remain a critical source of lower-cost housing, even though they are no longer cheap by historic standards. It pointed to the post-pandemic surge in demand that drove room rents sharply higher and said those higher price levels have changed who is living in shared homes.
The company said older flatsharers, couples and even children are now more common in shared households as renters stay put for longer and struggle to access more affordable alternatives. Earlier Landlord Knowledge coverage of falling lodger room supply already pointed to pressure in this part of the market. The new quarterly data suggests those supply concerns have not gone away.
Matt Hutchinson, director at SpareRoom, said: “Landlords have been telling us of their plans to quit the market or reduce their portfolios for many months but, until now, we’ve not seen that reflected in supply, which has been trending upwards since the aftermath of the pandemic. Slowing room supply growth is of huge concern when rooms in flatshares are such a critical source of affordable housing.”
He added that if the supply-demand imbalance worsens, UK room rents could start rising again despite the current pause in annual growth. That is a useful warning for landlords and agents watching the lower-cost end of the rental market. While headline rent inflation has cooled, the underlying market does not look settled.
For landlords with HMOs or room-by-room lets, the figures also suggest demand has not disappeared. Instead, the market may be entering a more selective phase where stock quality, compliance and location will matter more than simply listing a room and waiting for enquiries.
SpareRoom’s full Q1 2026 UK room rents update points to a market that is calmer on the surface but still vulnerable underneath.
What this means for landlords
- If you run HMOs or room-by-room lets: do not assume flat rent growth means weaker demand. In many markets, constrained supply may still support pricing if stock is well presented and compliant.
- Watch for: whether slower room ad growth turns into an outright fall in supply after the Renters’ Rights Act starts to phase in from 1 May.
- Bottom line: room rents may be steady for now, but the bigger story is a market where affordability is stretched and new supply is losing momentum.
Editor’s view
Flatlining rents will sound reassuring to policymakers, but landlords should look past the headline. If room supply growth is already slowing before the next rule changes take effect, pressure on the lower-cost rental market could build again quite quickly.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 15 April 2026
Sources: SpareRoom Q1 2026 rental index
Related reading: Flatsharer demand surges in commuter towns as city rents push tenants out
