en.Wedoany.com Reported - The latest data from the National House Building Council (NHBC) shows that new home registrations in London have plummeted by 37% within a year. In the first quarter of 2026, only 937 new homes were registered with the warranty and insurance body, down from 1,494 in the same period last year.

The figure of 937 is the lowest level in recent years, contrasting sharply with the first quarters of 2014 and 2015, when total new home registrations exceeded 7,000, meaning registrations have fallen eightfold over more than a decade. Across the UK, new home registrations fell by an average of 6% year-on-year in the first quarter, from 28,715 to 26,959. Registrations in the private and affordable housing sectors fell by 7% and 4% respectively. New home registrations declined in 8 out of 12 regions, with Northern Ireland seeing a 44% drop to 800 units; the North East, North West, Yorkshire, and the West Midlands recorded growth in registrations. Completions across the UK remained stable at 26,196, compared to 26,218 in the same period last year.

Daniel Pearce, NHBC's Director of Corporate Strategy, said: "It's a perfect storm — a subdued market, rising mortgage rates, cost pressures on households across the board, exacerbated by geopolitics and recent conflicts." Pearce noted: "Addressing affordability for buyers remains key to unlocking demand. The market desperately needs some targeted stimulus, such as a new buyer incentive scheme, to help those most in need get onto the property ladder." He also mentioned: "Currently, there is little incentive for developers to accelerate construction. Easing certain regulatory requirements is one lever that could be used to support housebuilders, particularly SMEs, as other costs rise beyond their control."

The data is likely to further raise concerns among policymakers about the slowdown in housebuilding activity in the capital. This follows the government's announcement of an emergency housebuilding plan in October to stimulate the market. NHBC covers over 70% of the warranty and insurance market, and its new home registration data is widely used as an early economic indicator of housebuilding activity.

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