UK house price growth eased to 5.5% in the year to February, meaning the average home cost £287,506, Land Registry data shows.
This is a 1% fall on the 12 months to January and a 3.5% slide on the year to December. The average home is £16,000 more expensive than a year ago.
House price inflation was highest in the West Midlands where prices lifted by 8.6% in the year to February. London showed the lowest annual growth, with prices rising by 2.9% in the period.