Fewer landlords raised rents last year – The DPS

BRISTOL, UK, 12 February, 2026 — Just over half (51%) of landlords raised rents during the past 12 months – a fall of two percentage points (53%) – according to The Deposit Protection Service (The DPS).

The organisation’s Private Rented Sector Review, which surveyed more 1,000 landlords and tracks landlord sentiment every six months, also revealed that 17% of respondents planned to increase rents during the next six months (down four percentage points from 21%).

However, 25% of respondents said that they planned to increase rents within six to 18 months (up six percentage points from 19%). The report also explained how 24% of respondents planned to keep rents unchanged, a fall of one percentage point since March 2025 (25%). The proportion of landlord respondents looking to maintain rents consistently hovers around a fifth to a quarter each time the survey is conducted, said The DPS.

Matt Trevett, Managing Director at The DPS, said: “Our data show that rental values in England, Wales and Scotland are stable at the moment.

“Landlords are less inclined to raise rents in the short term because their mortgage and operating costs have themselves stabilised.”

“There has been an increase in the proportion of landlords looking to increase rents in the next 18 months.

“However, overall, the latest data suggest most landlords are adopting a ‘wait and see’ approach ahead of the implementation of the Renters’ Rights Act."

The report also revealed how the average deposit value is now £1,195: up £45 from £1,150 in September 2024.

The rise suggests an average UK monthly rent of around £1,035 – an increase of 3.9 percentage points between September 2024 and September 2025.

The report is available here: https://www.depositprotection.com/news-insights/prs-review-feb-2026