UK house prices rise by least since April 2024, Halifax says

LONDON (Reuters) -British house prices rose by 1.3% in the 12 months to September, the weakest annual increase since April 2024, and unexpectedly fell in month-on-month terms, dropping by 0.3% from August, mortgage lender Halifax said on Tuesday.

Economists polled by Reuters had forecast prices would rise 0.2% on the month and be 2.2% higher than a year earlier.

British house prices have increased more slowly this year than they did in the second half of 2024 as worries have grown about the economy and potentially more tax on properties as finance minister Rachel Reeves looks to shore up her budget.

Data from rival mortgage lender Nationwide published last week showed that prices rose by 0.5% in September alone, pushing annual house price inflation up to 2.2%.

(Writing by William Schomberg; Editing by Kate Holton)