• Barclays Property Insights flagged rising tenant support for the UK’s Renters’ Rights Act 2025, with awareness at 60% when it took effect on May 1, 2026, versus 19% in October, while 62% expect stronger housing protections.
• Near-term behavior is shifting, with 19% of renters more likely to stay put, while concern about longer-run market tightening climbed to 45% on fears of higher rents or landlords exiting.
• Upfront costs are weighing on buy-to-let appetite, with the average initial outlay for a second home estimated at GBP 85,887, including a GBP 50,340 deposit, GBP 29,849 in stamp duty, and GBP 5,698 in third-party costs.
• Older owners are largely resisting housing equity as a retirement funding source, with 76% of Baby Boomers saying they do not plan to tap property wealth, while purchases by over-60s skew toward larger homes, with 56.2% of completions in detached or semi-detached houses.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Barclays plc published the original content used to generate this news brief on May 21, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.