Are rents in Bournemouth still rising?

Yes, more slowly than in 2022 and 2023. The ONS figure for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole was £1,398 a month in August 2026, 2.8% higher than a year earlier. That is an average across all property types, so a specific flat can sit well above or below it.

Is autumn a good time to let a property in Bournemouth?

It depends on the property. Student houses are let well before September. Furnished flats in the centre suit the winter demand from contractors, relocations and hospital staff. Family houses let all year. We tell you which applies at a valuation.

Has the Renters' Rights Act reduced the number of homes to rent?

Nationally, slightly. Rightmove's report for April to June 2026 said available rental homes were 1% below a year earlier, the first fall since 2022, driven by fewer new listings. It also said it was early days for the Act. We have no local figure yet.

Bournemouth Rental Market: Autumn 2026 Update

Bournemouth's rental market this autumn: students, winter lets and the new rules

What is moving in Bournemouth's rental market in autumn 2026: students arriving, winter lets starting, and the Renters' Rights Act five months in, with sourced figures.

Thu, 1 October 20264 min readBy Flexie Estate Agents

Bournemouth's rental market goes into autumn 2026 with rents still rising, but slowly, a new academic year under way, the furnished winter season about to start and the Renters' Rights Act five months old. The Office for National Statistics put the average private rent across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole at £1,398 a month in August 2026, up 2.8% on a year earlier. For landlords and tenants the season matters more than the average, so here is what is moving.

The numbers we can stand behind

We quote public figures only, with their dates.

Rents. The ONS local housing prices data for BCP, released on 16 September 2026, gives an average private rent of £1,398 a month in August 2026, against £1,360 a year before. That covers every property type, from a studio to a family house.
Prices. The same release gives an average house price of £310,000 in July 2026, down 1.9% on a year earlier, which matches the HM Land Registry UK House Price Index for the area.
National context. Rightmove's Rental Trends Tracker for April to June 2026, released on 16 July, put the average asking rent outside London at a record £1,397 a month, 2.3% higher than a year earlier. The number of homes available to rent was 1% below a year earlier, and the average home received 10 enquiries, against 11 a year ago and 22 at the peak in 2022.

Taken together: rents are edging up, prices are slightly lower than last year, and competition between tenants is well below its peak. Our own local figures are not yet published:.

Students are in

Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth started the year in September. Student houses in Winton, Charminster and around the Lansdowne were let months ago, which is the normal rhythm. Landlords who missed it face a quieter market for shared houses until the next round of viewings, usually in the new year.

Two rule changes affect student lets this year. Since 1 May 2026 tenancies are periodic, so a student can give two months' notice at any time. And the new possession ground for full-time students in a shared house works only if it was written into the tenancy at the start. Landlords who rely on it for next September should check their paperwork now. Our guide to student lets in Bournemouth covers it.

Winter lets start in November

From November to March, Bournemouth's furnished flats take a different kind of guest: contractors on project work, people relocating for a job, hospital staff on rotation, academics on a term's contract, and households placed by an insurer while their home is repaired. Most keep a home elsewhere and want a furnished flat with bills included for weeks or months.

For holiday let owners this is the season that keeps the flat earning. For the Flexiestays group it is the busiest time of year for the 130 apartments we let ourselves. Owners who want their flat in that market for November should talk to us in October. Winter lets explains how it works.

The Renters' Rights Act, five months in

The first phase took effect on 1 May 2026. Section 21 has gone, rent can rise once a year by section 13 notice, rental bidding is banned and no more than one month's rent can be taken in advance. Rightmove said its April to June data was the first since the change and that supply, demand and pricing looked steady and in line with seasonal norms. It is early to read more into it.

Locally, what we hear from landlords is less about leaving the market and more about paperwork: the information sheet that had to be served on existing tenants by 31 May, rent reviews moving to the section 13 form, and questions about selling with a tenant in place. Our post on the Act five months on covers what changed and what comes next.

What it means for you

Landlords. Price to the market, not to last year's peak: tenants have more choice than in 2022. Present the property well and keep the compliance file complete, because the database is coming. A rent estimate is a quick first figure.

Tenants. You can expect a single asking rent and no bidding. Have your referencing documents ready; good flats in the centre still go quickly. See property to rent.

Owners of furnished flats. The winter season is the moment to decide between a tenancy and furnished stays. Our comparison of a tenancy and winter stays sets out the trade-offs.