Fears that London’s landlords would respond to the Renters’ Rights Act by sharply increasing rents appear to have missed the mark, according to research from estate agents Benham and Reeves.
The analysis found that average rents across the capital rose by just 0.7% in the five months following the legislation receiving Royal Assent on 27 October 2025 — exactly the same rate of growth recorded during the previous five-month period.
The findings challenge concerns that landlords would pass on the cost of new regulations to tenants through higher rents. In fact, rental growth slowed in the majority of London’s boroughs after the landmark reforms became law.
Of London’s 32 boroughs, 18 recorded a slowdown in rental growth between October 2025 and March 2026 compared with the preceding five months.
Kingston upon Thames saw the most significant shift. Rents had risen by 2.9% between May and October 2025 but fell by 1.9% in the months after Royal Assent, marking a 4.8 percentage point slowdown.
Camden also saw rents weaken further, with values falling by 5% after the legislation was enacted, compared with a 1% decline in the previous period.
Other boroughs experiencing notable cooling included Havering, where rental growth slowed from 3.5% to 0.3%, and Bexley, where growth eased from 3.9% to 1.1%. Westminster and Barking & Dagenham also recorded marked reductions in rental growth.
Not all areas followed the trend. Brent posted the strongest turnaround, moving from a 5.2% decline in rents before Royal Assent to growth of 2.2% afterwards — a swing of 7.4 percentage points.
Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Greenwich, Waltham Forest and Islington also saw rental growth accelerate following the introduction of the reforms.
Marc von Grundherr, director of Benham and Reeves, said the figures suggest landlords have not used the legislation as a reason to raise rents.
“Top-line rental growth across London has remained unchanged, while most boroughs have actually seen growth slow,” he said. “This shows that rental values continue to be driven by local supply and demand dynamics rather than legislative changes alone.”
He added that while landlords are facing increased compliance obligations, affordability remains a major consideration, with many focused on attracting and retaining reliable tenants.
The research was based on Office for National Statistics private rental data, comparing average rents in the five months before and after the Renters’ Rights Act received Royal Assent.
