The RICS UK Residential Market Survey showed that the house price balance deteriorated to -32% in September 2026 from -28% in August, which was the highest in five months and worse than market expectations of -30%. It was the lowest figure since June and ended a four-month period during which the indicator had been becoming progressively less negative. The net balance for new buyer enquiries fell to -22%, while the sales expectations balance declined to -6%. London reported a weaker price balance than the national figure, while the North price balance continued to rise. The three-month house price expectations balance stood at -24%, signalling expectations of further near-term pressure, but stabilisation over a 12-month horizon. “A renewed rise in interest rate expectations has created a fresh headwind for the housing market, with buyers becoming a little more cautious and sales activity losing some momentum this month,” said RICS Head of Market Research and Analysis Tarrant Parsons. source: Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)

RICS House Price Balance in the United Kingdom decreased to -32 percent in September from -28 percent in August of 2026. RICS House Price Balance in the United Kingdom averaged 13.81 percent from 1978 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 100.00 percent in January of 1978 and a record low of -92.32 percent in April of 2008. This page includes a chart with historical data for the United Kingdom RICS House Price Balance. United Kingdom RICS House Price Balance - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on October of 2026.

RICS House Price Balance in the United Kingdom decreased to -32 percent in September from -28 percent in August of 2026. RICS House Price Balance in the United Kingdom is expected to be -15.00 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the United Kingdom RICS House Price Balance is projected to trend around 8.00 percent in 2027 and 12.00 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-09-09 11:01 PM
RICS House Price Balance
Aug -28% -29% -31% -28%
2026-10-07 11:01 PM
RICS House Price Balance
Sep -32% -28% -30% -25.0%
2026-11-12 12:01 AM
RICS House Price Balance
Oct -32%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average House Prices 298441.00 298395.00 GBP Sep 2026
Construction Orders YoY -18.10 -11.90 percent Jun 2026
Construction Output YoY -1.80 -1.90 percent Aug 2026
Mortgage Lending 4410.00 4082.00 GBP Million Aug 2026
Home Ownership Rate 64.50 64.70 percent Dec 2023
Lloyds House Price Index MoM 0.00 -0.30 percent Sep 2026
Lloyds House Price Index YoY 0.00 -0.40 percent Sep 2026
Housing Index 514.60 514.60 points Sep 2026
Housing Starts 35910.00 34030.00 units Jun 2026
Mortgage Approvals 54.92 55.93 Thousand Aug 2026
BBA Mortgage Rate 6.58 6.58 percent Sep 2026
Nationwide Housing Prices 547.10 549.50 points Sep 2026
Nationwide Housing Prices MoM -0.20 0.20 percent Sep 2026
Nationwide Housing Prices YoY 0.80 1.60 percent Sep 2026
Price to Rent Ratio 109.85 110.08 points Jun 2026
Private Rental Prices YoY 3.80 3.70 percent Aug 2026
Residential Property Prices 2.87 1.18 Percent Jun 2026
RICS House Price Balance -32.00 -28.00 percent Sep 2026


United Kingdom RICS House Price Balance
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) House Price Balance measures the percentage of surveyors reporting a house price rise in their designated area, minus those reporting a fall. A level above 0% indicates more surveyors reported a rise in prices; below indicates more reported a fall.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-32.00 -28.00 100.00 -92.32 1978 - 2026 percent Monthly

News Stream
UK House Price Balance Weakens to 3-Month Low
The RICS UK Residential Market Survey showed that the house price balance deteriorated to -32% in September 2026 from -28% in August, which was the highest in five months and worse than market expectations of -30%. It was the lowest figure since June and ended a four-month period during which the indicator had been becoming progressively less negative. The net balance for new buyer enquiries fell to -22%, while the sales expectations balance declined to -6%. London reported a weaker price balance than the national figure, while the North price balance continued to rise. The three-month house price expectations balance stood at -24%, signalling expectations of further near-term pressure, but stabilisation over a 12-month horizon. “A renewed rise in interest rate expectations has created a fresh headwind for the housing market, with buyers becoming a little more cautious and sales activity losing some momentum this month,” said RICS Head of Market Research and Analysis Tarrant Parsons.
2026-10-07
UK House Price Balance Improves to 5-Month High
The RICS UK Residential Market Survey showed that the house price balance improved to -28% in August 2026 from an upwardly revised -29% in July, reaching a five-month high as the housing market showed signs of stabilizing. The net balance for new buyer enquiries rose to -19%, its strongest reading since January, while the sales expectations balance improved to -3% from -13%. RICS said key activity indicators have become progressively less negative, although any recovery remains fragile. Property prices are still expected to fall over the next three months but stabilize over a 12-month horizon. London reported the weakest price balance, while Northern Ireland remained the strongest. In the rental market, stronger tenant demand and fewer properties from landlords pushed the three-month rent expectations balance to +44% from +33%. RICS warned that higher interest rates or heavier property taxation after October’s budget could weigh on prices.
2026-09-09
UK Housing Market Remains Subdued
The RICS UK Residential Market Survey showed that the house price balance edged up to -30% in July 2026 from -32% in June, remaining firmly negative as buyer demand and agreed sales continued to struggle for momentum. New buyer enquiries and agreed sales were both unchanged from June, at -28% and -30%, respectively, pointing to limited improvement in market activity. New vendor instructions improved sharply to -4% from -23%, although the pipeline of new listings remained constrained. London, the South East and South West continued to report the weakest price balances, while Northern Ireland remained an outperformer. Looking ahead, three-month price expectations stayed weak at -31%, while the 12-month outlook turned slightly positive at +4%. Sales expectations also improved, with the 12-month balance rising to +3%. In the rental market, landlord instructions remained weak at -27%, keeping supply constrained, while 28% of respondents expected rents to rise over the next three months.
2026-08-12