Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by PropertyWire. Read the original article for full details.
Sales Stock Increases, Rental Supply Tightens in May
The UK housing market saw a marginal increase in property stock for buyers in May 2026, while the rental sector experienced a further decline in available properties, according to Propertymark’s Housing Insight Report.
The report found that the average number of properties available for sale per branch rose slightly from 43 in April to 44 in May. However, prospective buyer registrations dropped from 78 to 64 per branch over the same period. The average number of viewings per property also declined, from 2.4 to 2.2. Despite these changes, the number of sales agreed per branch remained stable at eight.
Pricing data from Propertymark showed that 84% of member agents reported properties selling below the asking price in May, a slight improvement from 86% in April. Only 11% of properties achieved the asking price. The report also noted that transactions continue to take more than 17 weeks from offer acceptance to exchange.
Rental Market Faces Growing Supply-Demand Gap
In the lettings sector, the gap between supply and demand widened further. The average number of rental properties per branch fell from 12.65 in April to 12.09 in May. At the same time, tenant registrations increased from 86 to 98 per branch, resulting in an average of eight applicants competing for each available rental property.
The report highlighted that these supply constraints in the rental market are occurring alongside ongoing changes to housing policy and continued pressure on landlords. Rental arrears showed a marginal improvement during the period, but the sector continues to face structural challenges related to supply and regulatory change.
Market Trends for Letting Agents and Inventory Clerks
For UK letting agents and inventory clerks, the data points to a challenging environment in the rental sector, with high tenant demand and limited stock. The sales market, meanwhile, is showing signs of gradual rebalancing as stock levels improve, though buyer caution remains.
Source: PropertyWire