For 56% of first-time buyers who purchased in the UK in September 2026, the monthly mortgage payment topped their previous rent, Hamptons found in an analysis of Connells Group data. The comparison shows the housing cost pressure some new buyers faced when moving from renting to owning.
Hamptons said the share was the highest in at least a decade. The research measured buyers in the Connells Group data, rather than all first-time buyers across the UK.
For first-time buyers leaving the rental market, the average monthly mortgage payment was £39 higher than their previous rent, Hamptons said. That average describes the group moving from renting into homeownership; it is not an average limited to the 56% whose mortgage payment exceeded their rent.
The comparable share was 33% in September 2022. Hamptons pointed to mortgage rates and deposit size as factors affecting affordability. It also said homeownership can help buyers build equity and housing security over time.
