UK mortgage rate & interest-rate news
Bank of England decisions, mortgage pricing moves and everything affecting the cost of borrowing.
Mortgage and interest-rate news matters because it changes what buyers can afford and what sellers can realistically ask. Every rate move, pricing change and Bank of England decision that lands in the UK property market gets covered here in plain English — scored by how much it actually matters to buyers, sellers and the wider market.
Latest rates stories
6 stories- medium · 6/921 Apr 2026
Reuters poll finds economists expect Bank of England to hold rates through 2026
A Reuters poll of economists published yesterday found most expect the Bank of England to leave the base rate unchanged at next week's meeting and through the rest of 2026, even after recent inflation pressure tied to the Iran conflict. For buyers, that means fixed-rate pricing is unlikely to fall sharply in the near term. For sellers, demand levels look set to stay roughly where they are.
Source: Reuters
- high · 7/921 Apr 2026
Barclays cuts mortgage rates by up to 36bps across more than 20 fixed deals
Barclays is cutting more than 20 of its fixed-rate mortgages by up to 36 basis points from today, covering 2- and 5-year deals at a range of loan-to-value bands. It is one of the bigger moves from a major UK lender this month and follows a similar cut from NatWest earlier in the week. For buyers, monthly payments on new fixes drop modestly. For sellers, slightly cheaper borrowing tends to support demand at the margins.
Source: Mortgage Strategy
- medium · 5/920 Apr 2026
NatWest cuts mortgage rates by up to 37bps across residential and buy-to-let
NatWest is cutting mortgage rates by up to 37 basis points, covering both residential and buy-to-let. The biggest move is on its 95% LTV five-year fix, down from 5.76% to 5.39%. It follows HSBC last week. For buyers, it's the first run of meaningful cuts since rates rose in February after the Iran conflict. The picture stays unsettled — swap rates remain higher than the start of the year.
Source: Mortgage Strategy
- medium · 6/918 Apr 2026
Mortgage rates show signs of falling after Iran war peak
Several large UK lenders are cutting mortgage rates this week, with Halifax — the country's biggest lender — among them. Markets eased after geopolitical tensions cooled, pulling down the swap rates that fixed mortgages are priced against. Buyers comparing fixed-rate deals over the next few weeks will see slightly cheaper headline rates. The Bank of England base rate has not moved — this is a market-led shift, and lenders can pull rates back if conditions change.
Source: BBC
- high · 7/918 Apr 2026
Mortgage rates show signs of falling after Iran war peak
Major lenders including Halifax, HSBC and Santander have started cutting fixed mortgage rates as swap rates ease on hopes of a long-term truce in the Iran war. The average two-year fixed rate has edged down from a wartime peak of 5.90% to 5.87%, though still well above the 4.83% seen before the conflict. Around 1,000 fewer deals are available than pre-war, but lenders are offering larger loan amounts.
Source: BBC News
- high · 8/918 Apr 2026
Fixed mortgage rates fall for first time since Iran war peak
Average fixed mortgage rates have fallen for the first time since the spike that followed the Iran war, according to Moneyfacts. HSBC cut some deals by up to 34 basis points last week and several other lenders — Halifax, Atom, Family and Cambridge — followed. For buyers, monthly payments on a new fixed deal are a touch lower. The market reads it as the start of a slow easing, though nothing is guaranteed.
Source: BBC News
Frequently asked about rates
How do Bank of England rate decisions affect UK house prices?
When the Bank of England cuts its base rate, mortgage lenders usually follow with cheaper fixed and tracker products within a few weeks. Cheaper borrowing means buyers can afford higher prices, which tends to support or lift house prices. When rates rise, the reverse happens — buyers can borrow less, so demand softens and prices can stall or fall. The effect isn't instant, but rate decisions are usually the single biggest short-term influence on UK housing demand.
Why do mortgage rates sometimes move without a Bank of England decision?
Mortgage rates are priced off 'swap rates' — the rate at which banks lend to each other over a set term. Swap rates move every day based on what the market expects the Bank of England to do next, not just what the Bank has already done. So lenders can cut (or raise) rates even if the base rate hasn't moved — because the market has changed its mind about what's coming.
Does a mortgage rate cut always mean house prices go up?
Not always, but it usually helps. A rate cut makes monthly payments more affordable, so buyers who were priced out can come back in. That typically increases demand faster than supply can respond, which nudges prices up. But if the cut comes at the same time as bad economic news — rising unemployment, weak wages — buyer confidence can stay low even as rates fall. Rates are one big lever, not the only one.