Tenant demand across England strengthened during the third quarter of 2026, with 31.1% of rental listings reaching 'let agreed' status. This represents a 1.4 percentage point increase compared to the previous quarter, according to analysis from LegalforLandlords.
Despite the national rise, significant differences were observed across local rental markets. The City of London and West Sussex led demand, both recording 43.5% of listings as let agreed. Herefordshire followed at 41.8%, and Hertfordshire at 41.3%.
Conversely, Tyne & Wear recorded the lowest demand at 18.3%, with Nottinghamshire at 21.1% and the East Riding of Yorkshire at 24%. The City of London also saw the strongest quarterly increase in demand, rising by 13.5 percentage points during Q3.
Sim Sekhon, group CEO of LegalforLandlords, noted that the market is becoming more nuanced, with demand strengthening in some areas while easing in others. He stated that understanding local market dynamics is increasingly important for landlords when setting rents and bringing properties to market.