More landlords opting against rent increases as concerns over tenant affordability grow
The proportion of private landlords in England choosing not to increase rents has risen, with new independent research highlighting the importance landlords place on retaining tenants and concerns about the cost-of-living pressures they face.
The nationally representative survey of more than 2,000 private landlords in England, conducted by the TDS Charitable Foundation, found that half (50 per cent) had kept their rents unchanged over the previous 12 months, compared with four in ten (39 per cent) in last year's survey.
Retaining existing tenants was the most common reason for not increasing rents, cited by 47 per cent of landlords who had kept rents unchanged. Concerns about the cost-of-living pressures facing tenants were also a significant factor, cited by 44 per cent.
Landlords were less likely to have increased rents if they had no property debt or borrowing, owned only one rental property, or had never used a letting agent.
However, the research also found that 48 per cent of landlords had increased rents at least once over the previous 12 months.
The most common reasons given for raising rents were higher running costs, increased property maintenance expenses and the wider cost-of-living crisis.
Landlords who had increased rents were more likely to have larger property portfolios, incomes of £100,000 or more, own at least one House in Multiple Occupation (HMO), or use a letting agent.
The research also examined the extent of rent arrears and how landlords respond when tenants fall behind on payments.
Just over a quarter (26 per cent) of landlords reported having at least one tenant in rent arrears, a slight decrease from 29 per cent in the previous year's survey.
When dealing with arrears, landlords most commonly reported engaging directly with tenants to discuss their options (42 per cent) or providing information about their rights and available support services (39 per cent).
More than one in five landlords (21 per cent) said they had agreed a repayment plan with tenants, while 17 per cent had offered a rent-free or reduced-rent period to provide some financial breathing space.
Dr Jennifer Harris, Head of Policy, Research and Social Impact at The Dispute Service (TDS) Group, who carried out the research on behalf of the Foundation:
“It is encouraging to see more landlords choosing to keep rents unchanged, particularly at a time when many tenants continue to face significant financial pressures.
“However, our research shows that decisions about rents are rarely straightforward. While retaining good tenants and recognising the financial challenges they face are important considerations for many landlords, they are facing pressures of their own, with rising running and maintenance costs continuing to influence decisions about rents.”
About the Foundation
The TDS Charitable Foundation works in England and Wales to raise standards in the private rented sector by focusing on the following objectives:
- Improving access to good-quality private rented housing for those in need.
- Promoting, undertaking and supporting research into the causes of hardship and disadvantage in the private rented sector.
- Advancing education about housing rights and obligations.
- Promoting the use of alternative dispute resolution for more efficient and effective resolution of disputes between landlords and tenants.
It is funded mainly by donations from The Dispute Service (TDS Group) – the leading Tenancy Deposit Scheme which operates on a non-profit basis across the UK.
About the survey
The TDS Charitable Foundation's Voice of the Landlord survey is an ongoing national survey funded by the Foundation. It explores landlords' experiences and views on a range of issues, including affordability, changes to property portfolios and property conditions, and is based on a representative sample of more than 2,000 landlords.
This press release provides details of the third survey conducted between March and April 2026.
The full results of the survey are available here.
For further information
Further information about the TDS Charitable Foundation at https://www.tdsfoundation.org.uk/.
For further information contact Ed Jacobs by emailing Info@tdsfoundation.org.uk or telephone 07900 052659.
