Annual rise in English rents, June 2026
6.5%
up from 1.7% in April and May
The sharpest monthly rent figure of 2026 so far, and more than double May's 3% rate of Consumer Price Inflation.
English rents jumped 6.5% in June, and Huntingdonshire landlords are part of why.
English rents rose 6.5% in June, 2026's sharpest jump, as the once-a-year Section 13 rule reshapes rent-setting for Huntingdonshire landlords.
By Villager Homes lettings team, Villager Homes
The average rent on a new tenancy in England reached £1,309 in June 2026, up 6.5% on a year earlier, according to the HomeLet Rental Index. That is a sharp acceleration from the 1.7% annual growth recorded in both April and May, and the clearest evidence yet that the Renters' Rights Act is changing how landlords price a tenancy from the outset, not just how they manage it once a tenant is in place.
As of July 2026, the explanation most cited by analysts is straightforward. Since 1 May, landlords can only raise the rent on a sitting tenant once every 12 months, and only through a formal Section 13 notice. Our guide to Section 13 and Form 4A covers how that notice works. This piece looks at the knock-on effect: with mid-tenancy increases now slower and capped to once a year, more landlords are setting the rent they actually want at the start of a new tenancy, rather than planning to top it up later.
What changed on 1 May, and why does it show up in June's figures?
A new tenancy that started in June was priced under the new rules from day one. A tenancy that started in March or earlier is still working through its first Section 13 cycle. That is why the jump shows up fastest in new-letting data rather than across the whole rented stock; separate ONS figures, which track all tenancies including long sitting ones, put England's annual rent growth at a steadier 3.4% in the 12 months to May.
| Rent-setting | Before 1 May 2026 | From 1 May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-tenancy increases | Informal or contractual clauses, sometimes more than once a year | One Section 13 notice per 12 months, on the prescribed Form 4A only |
| Tenant's right to challenge | Limited, and rarely used | Can refer the notice to the First-tier Tribunal before it takes effect |
| Where the market rent gets set | Adjusted gradually over the life of the tenancy | Increasingly fixed at the point a new tenancy is agreed |
| Annual rent growth (new lets, HomeLet) | 1.7% (April and May 2026) | 6.5% (June 2026) |
HomeLet Rental Index figures track new tenancy agreements. ONS Private Rent and House Prices statistics track the wider rented stock, including existing tenancies, and typically move more slowly.
What this means in practice: three common positions.
Letting a property that is empty now
This is the moment to set the rent at the full, evidenced market level. Under-pricing a new tenancy is far harder to correct later, since any future rise is capped to one Section 13 notice a year and can be challenged at tribunal.
Renewing an existing tenancy
You still get one rent review a year. Use it, and back the new figure with comparable evidence (recent lettings on the same street or in the same block), since a tenant can refer an unsupported increase to the tribunal.
Managing several tenancies at different anniversaries
Track each tenancy's Section 13 date separately. Portfolio landlords who bunch reviews around a single calendar date risk missing the 12-month window on some properties and under-charging for longer than necessary.
What should Huntingdonshire landlords do now?
Our lettings team is seeing the same pattern locally: new instructions coming to market priced closer to their true annual value, rather than the smaller, informal nudges landlords in Huntingdon, Brampton and the surrounding villages used before May. The risk sits with landlords who have not adjusted: a rent fixed under the old assumptions in early 2026 could now be several hundred pounds a year behind the local market, with only one formal route a year to close the gap.
- Get an up to date market appraisal before agreeing a new tenancy or serving a Section 13 notice, not just a rough comparison with what the last tenant paid.
- Diarise each tenancy's Section 13 anniversary individually rather than reviewing rents in a single annual batch.
- Keep the comparable evidence behind any increase on file, in case a tenant refers the notice to the tribunal.
- Factor the faster new-letting market into remortgage or refinancing conversations with your lender, since rental income underpins borrowing capacity.
Our landlord compliance service checks rent-setting alongside Renters' Rights Act paperwork for landlords using our Huntingdon letting service or our Brampton letting service. A free tenancy MOT is the quickest way to check whether your current rent, and your Section 13 timing, are both where they should be.
Sources: HomeLet Rental Index, June 2026; ONS Private Rent and House Prices, UK, May 2026; GOV.UK, Renters' Rights Act: an overview for landlords. This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Confirm the position for your specific tenancies with a qualified housing solicitor or your letting agent.
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