DATA: ONS estimated monthly GDP rose 1.6% in year to Jul 2026
They report the 0.4% monthly growth was “because of rises of 0.4% in services, of 0.2% in production and of 0.1% in construction”.
DATA: Lloyds reported UK house prices fell 0.4% in year to Aug 2026
They report(PDF) the “first year-on-year decrease since November 2023”. They also report “Northern Ireland continues to record the strongest annual growth, with prices up +6.9% year-on–year” and “The South East saw the largest decline, with prices down -1.6% year-on-year to £381,729, followed by Greater London , where prices fell -1.5%”.
DATA: BoE published quoted mortgage rate data for Aug 2026
They report the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage at 75% loan-to-value increased to 4.92% from 4.79% the previous month and from 4.10% in August last year. The revert-to-rate was unchanged from the previous month, at 6.58%. See Chart of the Week for more on mortgage rates.
DATA: FCA/BoE published MLAR data for Q2 2026
The Mortgage Lenders and Administrators stats provides lots of information on the state of lending. The FCA and BoE provide summaries and we publish a Digging Deeper slide deck.
DATA: FCA published Mortgage Charter uptake data for Q2 2026
They report “In Q2 2026, around 22,400 mortgages saw a reduction in monthly payments due to a temporary switch to interest-only or a term extension; this is a slight increase compared to the volume in Q1 2026”.
DATA: ONS published admin-based local authority household estimates
The release covers household estimates for local authorities in England and Wales from 2021 to 2023.
DATA: ONS published construction output stats for Jul 2026
They report “Monthly construction output is estimated to have grown by 0.1% in July 2026” and “The increase in monthly output in July 2026 came solely from an increase in repair and maintenance”.
DATA: Scottish Gov published Vacant and Derelict Land Survey for 2025
They report “The amount of derelict and urban vacant land fell by 3% (267 hectares) from 8,858 hectares in 2024 to in 8,591 hectares in 2025” and “More sites were brought back into use for residential purposes than any other use (49 of the 144 reused sites)”.
DATA: ONS published Dataloft data on actual rental affordability
The average percentage of gross income spent on rent was 28.9% in August 2026, up slightly from 28.5% the previous month but lower than the 30.1% reported last year.
DATA: Financial Market Expectations For BoE’s Bank Rate
The chart provides a summary for the expected future level of Bank Rate based on daily data. The One Year figure was 4.63% on the 9th Sep, up from 4.55% on the 2nd Sep.
DATA: New Build Energy Performance Certificates, England
This chart provides a summary of the number of EPCs on new build properties, a useful leading indicator for net additions. The 52-week rolling total was 207,832 for the week commencing 31st Aug, lower than the 208,930 total for the previous week.
POLICY: MHCLG announced landlord register rollout
“It will launch on 15 December 2026, starting in the West Midlands and onto other areas over 12 months” and “All landlords actively letting property will need to have registered by 14 November 2027”.
POLICY: MHCLG announced Overnight Visitor Levy
They will “protect budget holidays by requiring the levy to be charged as a percentage of the cost of accommodation, rather than as a flat fee”, “have the flexibility to offer exemptions – such as for campsites”, and “Temporary accommodation and shelters or refuges would not be subject to the levy”.
REPORT(PDF): RICS published residential market survey for Aug 2026
They report “New buyer enquiries and agreed sales net balances turn less negative, but remain relatively weak” and “Aggregate house prices continue to drift slightly lower, although downward momentum appears to be moderating”.
REPORT: BoE published Agents’ summary of business conditions
On housing, they report “Estate agents continued to report a subdued market, with house prices under more pressure in London and the South East and barely rising elsewhere. Transaction numbers are down on last year, in some areas by double digit percentages, and sales are taking longer to complete. Demand in the new build market is similarly weak, with higher mortgage rates weighing on affordability. House builders are reliant on bulk sales and incentives to support cash flow and there is no expectation of an imminent pickup in supply of new homes.”
REPORT: RE:UK reported on the diversification of living sector returns
The report “explores diversification of investment returns across the UK living sector” and “considers how returns are generated across different parts of the sector and what this means for investment risk, performance and portfolio construction”.
REPORT: Resolution Foundation reported on the policy landscape in 2026
The report, published with UK in a Changing Europe, includes a chapter on housing and planning but it is compromised by using inaccurate housebuilding statistics and fails to recognise the immediate demand side issues the housebuilding sector is facing while suggesting “we still need radical reform of the planning system”.
REPORT: JRF reported on a minimum income standard (MIS) for the UK
They report “In 2026, members of the public have concluded that social housing is no longer a realistic minimum housing option” and “For the first time, MIS budgets for all household types now assume accommodation in the private rented sector”. As a result: “The move from social housing to private renting has increased the income required to reach MIS for pensioners and households with children”.
REPORT: HBF reported on highways adoption on housing developments
They report “Section 38 agreements, which are signed post planning agreement and after signing off on the technical specification of the road before construction work starts on new housing estate roads took just over four years on average from submission to adoption, with some taking up to 12 years”.
REPORT: Intergenerational Foundation of the cost of loving crisis
The report “argues that younger generations are increasingly being priced out of dating and relationships” as “High housing costs have made it harder to leave the parental home or move in with a partner, while squeezed incomes have made dating and socialising less affordable”.
REPORT: Savills reported on affordable housing need
They “estimate that around 37% of new homes should currently be delivered as some form of affordable tenure” and “This equates to approximately 136,200 homes per year”. They also report “Around three quarters of affordable housing need is concentrated in London and the South, reflecting acute affordability pressures and persistently low levels of delivery”.
CORPORATE: Grainger published Trading Update
They report “Strong rental demand and leasing performance” with “Occupancy high at 96%+” and “Good like-for-like BTR rental growth at 3%, in line with guidance”.
CORPORATE: Harworth Group published Half Year Results
They announced they will focus on “Becoming a pure play powered land and industrial & logistics specialist, exiting the residential sector”.
CORPORATE: Berkeley Group published Trading Update
They report that “While Berkeley is receiving good and stable levels of enquiries, the uncertainty and volatility in the market means that customers without an immediate need to move and readily available liquidity remain more cautious to commit”.
Chart of the Week
Mortgage rates started the year by continuing their downwards trajectory but the war in the Middle East quickly reversed the trend. As the Chart of the Week shows, the Bank of England quoted mortgage rate data shows the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage at 75% loan-to-value hit a low of 3.93% in January (the lowest rate since 2022) but rose quickly in the following months, hitting a recent high of 5.14% in April. Average quoted mortgage rates then settled just below 5% but events of the last week suggest they will be rising rapidly in coming weeks. The two-year OIS forward curve hit 4.84% yesterday (10th September) and it is likely that next week will see a flurry of mortgage repricing.
If mortgages rates do rise and stay elevated, then it kills off any hope of a housing market recovery this year and possibly next. That means bad news for anyone looking to remortgage, move house, or with a business reliant on housing market turnover such as estate agents and housebuilders. It also means the OBR forecast for a planning led boost to the economy, that was due to start this autumn, is looking even less probable.
