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# Average Rent in the UK by Region, Home Type and Size
- URL: https://husmus.net/blog/articles/average-rent-uk/
- Published: 2026-10-28T13:26:59.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-28T13:34:22.000Z
- Description: The average UK rent was £1,406 a month in September 2026. Here's what people pay in your region, for your size and type of home, with a quick lookup to check whether a rent is fair. We update it every month.
- Author: Sarah Wernér
- Tags: Agents, Councils, Landlords, Tenants

**TL;DR:** The average private rent in the UK was £1,406 a month in September 2026, 3.8% more than a year earlier. It ranges from £790 in the North East to £2,338 in London, and from £1,140 for a one-bedroom home to £2,089 for four bedrooms or more. Pop your postcode into the lookup to see what people pay near you.

Whether you're a landlord setting the rent for a new let or a tenant staring at a rent increase letter, the first question is the same: what is everyone else paying? We've pulled the official figures together in one place, by region, type of home and number of bedrooms, and we refresh them every month when the Office for National Statistics publishes new data.

> **Related:** [How Much Can Your Landlord Raise Your Rent?](https://husmus.net/blog/articles/how-much-can-landlord-raise-rent/) · [How to Set Rent Under the Renters' Rights Act](https://husmus.net/blog/articles/how-to-set-rent-renters-rights-act)

## Is my rent fair? Check your area

Pop in the postcode, the number of bedrooms and the type of home, and you'll see the average rent for that local area. Add the rent you pay, or the rent you're thinking of charging, to see how it compares.

### Is my rent fair?

See what people pay for homes like yours, using official figures for your area.

Postcode of the home 

Find area 

Or choose the area Choose an area 

Bedrooms 

Any 1 2 3 4 or more 

Type of home Any type Detached house Semi-detached house Terraced house Flat or maisonette 

Rent per month (optional) 

£

Figures from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents for September 2026 (July 2026 for Northern Ireland), released 21 October 2026\. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

## What is the average rent in the UK?

The average monthly private rent in the UK was £1,406 in September 2026, £52 more than a year earlier.

Scotland's rise of 0.7% is the smallest the ONS has recorded there since its series began in 2016\. Northern Ireland's figures run two months behind the rest of the UK.

| Country                      | Average monthly rent | Change in a year |
| ---------------------------- | -------------------- | ---------------- |
| UK                           | £1,406               | +3.8%            |
| England                      | £1,466               | +4.0%            |
| Wales                        | £848                 | +4.1%            |
| Scotland                     | £1,011               | +0.7%            |
| Northern Ireland (July 2026) | £879                 | +1.7%            |

Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, September 2026 (July 2026 for Northern Ireland), released 21 October 2026\. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

## What is the average rent in each region of England?

London is the most expensive region at £2,338 a month, and the North East the least expensive at £790\. Rents are rising fastest in the North West, up 5.7% in a year, and slowest in London and the South East, both up 3.5%.

If you rent in Kensington and Chelsea, you won't be surprised to hear it's the most expensive local area in the UK, at £3,739 a month. That's more than six times the cheapest, Dumfries and Galloway, at £556\. Outside London, Oxford tops the list at £1,957.

| Region                   | Average monthly rent | Change in a year |
| ------------------------ | -------------------- | ---------------- |
| North East               | £790                 | +5.3%            |
| North West               | £975                 | +5.7%            |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | £869                 | +4.8%            |
| East Midlands            | £928                 | +3.8%            |
| West Midlands            | £983                 | +4.4%            |
| East of England          | £1,298               | +3.8%            |
| London                   | £2,338               | +3.5%            |
| South East               | £1,438               | +3.5%            |
| South West               | £1,251               | +4.2%            |

Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, September 2026, released 21 October 2026\. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

## How much is rent by number of bedrooms?

Across the UK, a one-bedroom home averages £1,140 a month, a two-bedroom home £1,287, a three-bedroom home £1,438, and a home with four or more bedrooms £2,089\. Where you live matters more than size, though: a one-bed in London averages £1,764, more than a four-bed in the North East at £1,219.

| Area                         | 1 bed  | 2 bed  | 3 bed  | 4 or more |
| ---------------------------- | ------ | ------ | ------ | --------- |
| UK                           | £1,140 | £1,287 | £1,438 | £2,089    |
| England                      | £1,199 | £1,341 | £1,497 | £2,170    |
| Wales                        | £637   | £782   | £892   | £1,252    |
| Scotland                     | £702   | £912   | £1,168 | £1,951    |
| Northern Ireland (July 2026) | £623   | £769   | £880   | £1,229    |
| North East                   | £555   | £698   | £837   | £1,219    |
| North West                   | £705   | £887   | £1,063 | £1,507    |
| Yorkshire and the Humber     | £615   | £772   | £918   | £1,327    |
| East Midlands                | £652   | £831   | £1,000 | £1,413    |
| West Midlands                | £711   | £887   | £1,053 | £1,485    |
| East of England              | £900   | £1,153 | £1,403 | £1,987    |
| London                       | £1,764 | £2,239 | £2,651 | £3,655    |
| South East                   | £1,000 | £1,284 | £1,566 | £2,231    |
| South West                   | £833   | £1,070 | £1,305 | £1,881    |

Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, September 2026 (July 2026 for Northern Ireland), released 21 October 2026\. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

## How much is rent by type of home?

Detached homes cost the most to rent, at £1,597 a month on average across the UK. Flats and maisonettes cost the least, at £1,371, with semi-detached and terraced houses in between at £1,401 and £1,394\. London likes to be different: there, semi-detached homes average slightly more than detached ones.

| Area                         | Detached | Semi-detached | Terraced | Flat or maisonette |
| ---------------------------- | -------- | ------------- | -------- | ------------------ |
| UK                           | £1,597   | £1,401        | £1,394   | £1,371             |
| England                      | £1,649   | £1,458        | £1,443   | £1,449             |
| Wales                        | £1,087   | £879          | £835     | £707               |
| Scotland                     | £1,551   | £1,073        | £1,003   | £840               |
| Northern Ireland (July 2026) | £1,094   | £901          | £826     | £766               |
| North East                   | £1,101   | £834          | £818     | £663               |
| North West                   | £1,356   | £1,069        | £983     | £819               |
| Yorkshire and the Humber     | £1,169   | £927          | £860     | £705               |
| East Midlands                | £1,217   | £973          | £907     | £744               |
| West Midlands                | £1,308   | £1,038        | £973     | £799               |
| East of England              | £1,764   | £1,414        | £1,279   | £1,030             |
| London                       | £2,930   | £2,960        | £2,850   | £2,061             |
| South East                   | £2,003   | £1,589        | £1,459   | £1,154             |
| South West                   | £1,613   | £1,365        | £1,279   | £982               |

Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, September 2026 (July 2026 for Northern Ireland), released 21 October 2026\. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

## Why does the advert I'm looking at cost more than the average?

Probably because it's a new let. The ONS average includes everyone who rents in England and Wales: people who moved in last month and people who've lived in the same home for years on a rent that has barely moved. New lets come onto the market at today's prices, so they usually sit above the average. A rent that looks high against these figures may simply be a fair rent for a home on the market now.

Scotland and Northern Ireland work differently. Their figures are mostly based on advertised new lets, so compare them with the rest of the UK with care.

## How can landlords and agents use these figures?

Use them as your starting point. Compare your home with the average for its size and type in your area, then look at what similar homes are advertised for now, adjusting for condition, outside space, parking and transport links.

Getting it right first time matters more than it used to. Under the Renters' Rights Act you advertise one fixed asking rent, and if a tenant challenges an increase later, the tribunal looks at the open market rent for similar homes. Your mortgage and running costs matter to you, but the tribunal won't weigh them, so the market figure is the one to get right. Our guide to [setting rent under the Renters' Rights Act](https://husmus.net/blog/articles/how-to-set-rent-renters-rights-act) walks through the rest.

## How can tenants use these figures?

If your landlord has proposed an increase, compare the new rent with the average for your size and type of home, then check what similar homes nearby are advertised for. If the new rent is well above both, talk to your landlord first: many increases can be agreed at a lower figure. If you can't agree, you can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide. It costs £47, and it can't set a rent higher than your landlord proposed. Our guide to [rent increases](https://husmus.net/blog/articles/how-much-can-landlord-raise-rent/) explains how.

However you use these figures, we hope they help you have a fairer conversation about rent. We'll keep them fresh every month.

## Frequently asked questions about rent prices

### How often are these figures updated?

Every month. The ONS publishes new rent figures around the middle of each month, and we update this page soon after. The next release is due on 18 November 2026.

### Where do the figures come from?

The Office for National Statistics' Price Index of Private Rents, which became official statistics in May 2026\. In England and Wales it covers the rents people actually pay on both new and existing tenancies.

### Why can't I see figures for my street?

The ONS publishes rents by local authority in England and Wales, and by Broad Rental Market Area in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so the lookup works at that level. There are no figures for the City of London or the Isles of Scilly because too few homes are let there to measure.

### Can I use these figures to challenge a rent increase?

They're a good place to start. The tribunal looks at what similar homes let for on the open market now, so bring adverts for comparable homes near you as well.

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**Know your numbers before you sign.** A Husmus assessment shows tenants the maximum rent they qualify for before they start looking, and shows landlords whether an applicant can comfortably afford the rent they've set. [Find out how it works →](https://husmus.net/?ref=husmus.net)

*Figures from the ONS Price Index of Private Rents, released 21 October 2026, covering September 2026 (July 2026 for Northern Ireland). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.*