Average UK house prices increased by 1.3%, to £268,000, in the 12 months to January 2026, down from 1.9% in the 12 months to December 2025, according to official data published this morning.
Experts said the Budget likely played a role in the weakening of price growth, as people put their moving and buying plans on hold.
Average house prices increased to £290,000 (1.1%) in England, £210,000 (2.0%) in Wales, and £188,000 (1.3%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to January 2026.
Meanwhile, average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5%, to £1,374, in the 12 months to February 2026, unchanged from the 12 months to January 2026.
Average rents increased to £1,430 (3.6%) in England, £828 (5.5%) in Wales, and £1,022 (2.4%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to February 2026.
In Northern Ireland, average rents increased to £875 (5.2%), in the 12 months to December 2025.
In England, private rents annual inflation was highest in the North East (7.6%), and lowest in London (1.7%), in the 12 months to February 2026.
Muted growth
Emma Jones, Managing Director at Runcorn-based Whenthebanksaysno.co.uk a broker, said the Budget will have impacted the data: “The last quarter of 2025 was muted as people sat on their hands and waited to see what would be revealed in the Budget.
“November’s fiscal event created a lot of uncertainty that is now showing through in weak price growth.
“Of course, a lot has happened since this data and the speed with which mortgage rates are rising due to the ongoing war with Iran could apply further downward pressure on prices in the months ahead.”
Andrew Montlake, CEO at London-based Coreco, added: “When you factor in the events of March, and how the war in the Middle East has impacted mortgage rates, the performance of the property market in the very early stages of the year now feels slightly outdated.
“There was a lot of hope as mortgage rates came down in January and February, but for now at least it’s looking like that hope has been dashed.”
Huge curveball
Stephen Perkins, Managing Director at Yellow Brick Mortgages, a nationwide broker, said that the lack of homes being built will support prices but that war in the Middle East and higher mortgage rates will be weighing down on sentiment.
He said: “While muted, house prices continue to grow due to supply and demand and look set to continue to do so as the current government has failed to stimulate housing building to anything near its 1.5 million homes target.
“The bigger issue here, though, is the continued rise in rents which will be putting further pressures on already fragile household budgets and making it a challenge for aspiring first-time buyers to save money for a deposit.
“Meanwhile, events in the Middle East have delivered a huge curveball at the UK property market, with soaring mortgage rates now weighing down hard on sentiment.
“The one positive for first-time buyers is that we are in a serious buyers’ market and they can negotiate harder than ever for property.”
