The Renters' Rights Act appears to have shifted the rhythm of the London rental market.
Four months after the legislation came into force, Foxtons' August 2026 lettings index found that the summer's busiest weeks arrived earlier than usual, with activity spread more evenly across July and August rather than concentrating in the final weeks of the season.
New listings ran 2.9% ahead of last year, with August 5.2% below July. Every month of 2026 produced more new listings than the same month in 2025, which Foxtons describes as the clearest evidence available that landlords have stayed in the London market. Supply grew both through the run-up to the RRA and through the first months under it.
Renter registrations eased 3.0% in August. Along with July, it was still the peak of 2026, finishing off the summer rush just below July's levels. Year to date, registrations ran 12.3% below 2025, a year of exceptional applicant volumes across London. West London ran against the trend, up 5.2% on last year.
Competition for available property rose 22.4% in August to 24 renters registering per new instruction, the highest point of 2026. West London again carried the largest rise, at 20.9 against 18.0. Every property that came to market in August met the deepest pool of applicants of the year.
Renter budgets averaged £571 per week in August, 1.9% below July. The year-to-date figure stood at £561, up 0.9% on 2025. Central London led at £632 a week, up 4.2%, and West was the only area below last year, down 2.2%. One-bedroom flats saw the largest movement of any property type, up 3.4%.
"Across 2026, competition for London rental property remained steady at just under 18 renters per new listing," said Gareth Atkins, managing director of lettings at Foxtons.
"What changed was when demand arrived. The Renters' Rights Act appears to have brought some moves forward, particularly among students, spreading activity more evenly across the summer and easing the traditional August peak. For landlords, that meant a longer letting window. Whether this is a lasting shift remains to be seen, with 2026 likely a year of adjustment rather than a new normal."
Sarah Tonkinson, managing director of institutional PRS and build to rent, offered a similar read for operators. "This year, peak season didn't behave the way it typically does," she said. "Demand held across the summer rather than surging in August, which can be a hurdle if your lease-up plan assumes a queue forms in those four weeks rather than throughout July and August.
"Supply across London is running ahead of last year too, so residents have more options to compare and more time to compare it. Nobody is being rushed into a decision. What decides your lease-up now is pricing built on real data and an enquiry answered the same day."
The year-to-date key market indicators showed new instructions down across all regions: Central London fell 20%, East and West each dropped 9%, South fell 8%, and North was down 5%. On the demand side, new renter registrations were lower in every region except West London, which rose 5.2%, against declines of 16.2% in Central, 17.3% in North, and 12.4% in both East and South.
