The end of Quarter 3 marked 152 days since the Renters' Rights Act (RRA) came into effect, and although the processes around letting and renting property have undeniably changed, the vast majority of tenancies have continued without issue. Ultimately, good tenants still want stability, good landlords still want reliable tenants, and demand exceeding supply will continue to support rents. Across our nine offices the message is clear: where properties are in good condition and priced correctly, they continue to let well.
DEMAND FOR PROPERTY TYPE
Smaller properties outside of Oxford continue to be popular and where they are in good condition they are achieving strong rents, for example a 1-bedroom apartment in Abingdon town centre (photo below) at £1,2501. Over the summer months, demand for family homes is typically strong, tapering off towards the autumn. Earlier in Q3 family homes in Oxford were letting quickly and at good rents (for example, main photo: a 6-bedroom house in Summertown at £10,000) yet those that are on the market now are having to have prices adjusted.
ADVANCE RENT CAP CREATES BARRIERS
The legislation’s cap on advance rent payments – which was intended to protect vulnerable tenants – is restricting access for international tenants and those without a UK guarantor or credit history. This makes applicant qualification more important than ever to help reduce risk for the landlord. Nationally, there has been a surge in demand for rent guarantors2, and some of our offices have similarly seen a small increase in applicants using these services.
TENANT AWARENESS REMAINS LOW
There is a general understanding among tenants that legislation has changed, but the detail is lacking. For example, many tenants seem unsure about how their tenancy has changed (from fixed term to periodic) or how much notice they have to provide when seeking to terminate. Across our offices, tenants who did serve notice over the summer months tended to do so to relocate, buy, upsize, or downsize rather than being unhappy with their property. For example, a 4-bedroom house in Headington let to applicants who wanted to move from a similar property just to be closer to their child’s school.
The two months’ notice has been tricky to negotiate for tenants who are buying and trying to line it up with the completion of the purchase; our advice has been to not serve notice until exchange of contracts has happened.
REQUESTS FOR PETS REMAIN STABLE
Requests for pets remain low since the change in the law. Getting a pet is not without cost or responsibility, so we did not anticipate a sudden increase in requests. Where they have happened, landlords understand that they cannot unreasonably refuse them. For example, a request for a dog in a family house with a garden is not unreasonable, but a request for a large dog in a 1-bedroom apartment with no garden is not practical or reasonable.
INCREASE IN REGISTERED APPLICANTS
The increase in flexibility for tenants has meant a 7.6% increase year-on-year in the number of applicants registering property searches3. It seems that tenants are keeping an eye on the market just in case something they like comes up, at which point they can serve their two months’ notice. This, in turn, means they are not quick to make decisions after viewing, and reinforces the importance of correctly pricing and presenting properties to appeal to your target market.
SWITCHING SERVICE
There has been an uplift in demand for professional management from landlords who no longer want to self-manage the increasing regulation. Keeping on top of compliance, understanding new notice requirements, handling increased administration and promptly dealing with repairs is demanding, and so some clients are choosing to move to a fully managed service. By working with a professional agency, they are reducing the risk of inadvertently failing to abide by the new laws.
PREMIUM PROPERTIES CONTINUE TO ATTRACT PREMIUM TENANTS
As stated in previous reports, with higher rents come higher tenant expectations and properties need to be in good condition. Properties that are well-presented and set at the right rent continue to attract plenty of interest. For example, in the city centre, our Central Oxford team listed a modern and stylishly furnished 2-bedroom apartment (photo above) at £2,600 which let to a professional couple and in Woodstock a 3-bedroom house (photo below) which had failed to sell over the summer was re-listed for let at £1,750 and received seven applications from 12 viewings.
RENT INCREASES AND FIRST TIER TRIBUNAL
The mechanism to increase rents annually has changed following the RRA (though the principle of tenants being able to challenge rent increases is not new). It highlights the importance of always charging a fair market rent for your property, as well as being able to evidence the proposed figure.
It also reinforces the importance of landlords ensuring their rents keep up with market rates. Across the county several long-term tenants had not received rent increases over the pandemic, which meant when it came to bringing it to the right level this year the increases were significant (yet justifiable, and often still slightly under current market rates). A good agent will be able to advise you on rent increases, demonstrating the suggested amounts and helping to avoid lengthy First Tier Tribunal cases.
A TOUGHER SALES MARKET
A slower sales market has seen fewer landlords selling, fewer tenants moving out to buy, and it’s also seen some properties which have failed to sell over the summer returning to the rental market (Photo 4). With different notice periods and rules around possession, careful negotiation and good communication have been essential.
The landlord of a 2-bedroom apartment in central Oxford let us know that their long-term plan was to sell. Although they did not want to serve a Ground 1A notice for possession immediately, they were happy for us to make the tenant aware of their plans. The tenants decided to start looking for a new property and let us know their requirements. The tenants of a suitable 2-bedroom apartment in Botley had just served notice, so our lettings team was able to negotiate an off-market let which suited both landlords and the tenants.
A NEW MARKET
The fundamentals of the rental market remain strong: good properties, priced correctly and well managed, continue to attract good tenants. What has changed is the level of knowledge, care and professionalism required to navigate the market successfully. For landlords who keep their properties well maintained, stay on top of their responsibilities and take a long-term view, there is still plenty of opportunity. As the market settles into its new rhythm, the focus should be less on what has changed and more on making the most of the opportunities that remain.
REGISTER YOUR PROPERTY
In September the Government announced the introduction of its ‘Register your rental property’ service for private landlords across England. The service forms part of Phase 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act and will create a national database of privately rented properties and their landlords. Properties in the South East will need to be registered between March and June 2027. You can read more about this at www.finders.co.uk/news
1 All rents stated are marketing rents and per calendar month
2 Housing Hand (2026) ‘Increasing numbers of renters are struggling to find a UK guarantor: here's why’. Available at: https://housinghand.com/help-and-advice/guides-for-tenants/ demand-uk-guarantors. (Accessed: 2 October 2026)
3 Internal Finders Keepers data
