Proposed rent freeze collides with landlord pricing plans

28 April 2026

61% of landlords planning rent increases in the next 12 months – three in four due to to Renters Rights Act

Tuesday 28th April

With reports that the Chancellor is considering a year-long rent freeze in the Private Rented Sector, new research suggests the policy could cut across landlord behaviour already being shaped by regulatory change.

Pegasus Insight Landlord Trends Q1 2026 data shows that 61% of landlords are planning to increase rents in the next 12 months, with 75% of them linking this to the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Mark Long, founder and managing director of Pegasus Insight, said:

“A rent freeze would represent unprecedented intervention in the private sector, thwart the business plans of the majority of landlords and potentially force some out of business.

“Landlords are not setting rents in a vacuum. Many are already factoring in the impact of the Renters’ Rights Bill, alongside higher costs, and that is feeding directly into pricing decisions.

“Introducing a rent freeze into that environment could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for those already struggling to balance the books.”