Bookham Rental Market Update: What Record National Rents Mean Locally

Rightmove's latest Rental Price Tracker, covering Q2 2026, shows the UK rental market hitting new records, but with the frantic competition of a few years ago now easing. Here's what the national figures show, and what we're actually seeing on the ground for rental property in Bookham.

The national picture

According to Rightmove, the average advertised rent for homes outside London reached a new record of £1,397 per calendar month in Q2 2026, up 1.9% on the previous quarter and 2.3% higher than a year ago. London also hit a fresh record of £2,791 pcm, with the biggest quarterly jump since 2023.

Alongside record rents, the number of homes available to rent has dropped below last year's level for the first time since 2022, down around 1% nationally. Rightmove puts this down to fewer new properties being listed, rather than homes letting more quickly.

Despite the tighter supply, competition between tenants has settled well below its 2022 peak. The average rental home now receives around 10 enquiries, compared with 22 at the height of the market three years ago, though still above the pre-pandemic norm of 5. Buy-to-let borrowing costs have also eased slightly, with the average two-year fixed rate now 5.55%, down from 5.67% the previous month.

What this looks like in Bookham

Locally, that national story is playing out much as you'd expect for a well-connected Surrey village. A snapshot of current Bookham listings shows rents spanning roughly £1,250 pcm for a one-bedroom flat up to £5,250 pcm for the largest new-build family homes, with a typical three or four-bedroom house currently sitting somewhere in the £2,700 to £3,500 pcm range.

Bookham continues to hold its own within that range thanks to the fundamentals that have always underpinned demand here: a mainline station into London Waterloo, well-regarded schools, easy access to Bookham Common, and a village centre with genuine everyday amenities. These are exactly the kind of qualities that keep tenant interest steady even as national supply tightens.

What it means if you're letting a property

With fewer new homes coming onto the market but demand holding at a more sustainable level than the 2022 scramble, this is a reasonably good window for landlords, provided the property is presented well and priced realistically. As one letting agent quoted in Rightmove's report put it, properties that are "well presented, well maintained and priced realistically for the current market are attracting the strongest levels of interest." That's consistent with what we're seeing with our own Bookham instructions.

This quarter's report is also the first to include data gathered since the Renters' Rights Act came into force in May. Early indications are that supply, demand and pricing are all continuing broadly in line with normal seasonal patterns, but it's still early days and something we're watching closely.

What it means if you're renting

If you're searching in Bookham, there's more choice available than at the peak of the rental crunch, and less pressure to make a snap decision on the first property you view. That said, rents are still edging upward rather than falling, so it's worth budgeting for gradual increases rather than expecting prices to soften.

Talk to us

Whether you're a landlord weighing up the current market or looking for your next home in Bookham, we're always happy to talk through what these figures mean for your specific situation. Get in touch with the team at Pacey Wingent Dickson.

Sources: Rightmove Rental Price Tracker, Q2 2026; live Rightmove listings for Great Bookham, correct as of late July 2026