The Office for National Statistics has confirmed that UK annual house price growth slowed for the second consecutive month, marking a notable shift in momentum after a run of stronger figures earlier in the year. The ONS House Price Index showed annual growth easing to a rate well below the peaks recorded in early 2025, as higher-for-longer mortgage rates and stretched affordability finally begin to bite into transaction volumes and price resilience across the country. For a market that had shown surprising durability through repeated interest rate shocks, this second month of deceleration is the clearest signal yet that the post-pandemic price boom is giving way to a more sober, fundamentals-driven phase.