Atom bank comments on ONS Private Rent and House Price data

17 December 2025

Chris Storey, Chief Commercial Officer, Atom bank

“This latest increase rounds off a year of steady growth for house prices. Despite the uncertainty around the stamp duty deadline earlier this year, and then the much-trailed Autumn Budget, the value of our homes has continued to rise.

“It’s striking that while house prices are hitting new heights, affordability may actually be improving. Recent analysis from Halifax suggested that when comparing property prices to income, affordability is at its strongest since 2015. Given the expectations of further rate cuts to come, and the competitive lending landscape, brokers should gear up for a positive start to next year as would-be buyers pursue purchases.

“If rates do drop as expected, then we should expect to see further house price growth next year too, as the imbalance between supply and demand is not going anywhere in the short term. The challenge is for lenders to recognise the areas in the market where borrowers need the most support, and deliver the products and criteria which make home ownership achievable and affordable. Whether that’s borrowers with small deposits, the self-employed, or those with imperfect credit, the lending market must ensure we don’t end up in a situation where subsets of borrowers find it unnecessarily difficult to access mortgages.”