ONS: UK private rents rise 3.5% to an average £1,367
- Office for National Statistics data published on April 22 showed average UK private rents rose 3.4% year on year to £1,377 in March 2026. - England’s average rent reached £1,434, Wales hit £830, Scotland £1,022, and rent inflation ranged from 6.5% in North East England to 1.7% in London. - Landlord supply remains tight as 31% planned portfolio cuts in 2024 and housing benefit rates stayed frozen for 2025-26. (gov.uk)
Average UK private rents rose 3.4% in the year to March 2026, taking the monthly average to £1,377, according to the Office for National Statistics. (ons.gov.uk) The Office for National Statistics published the figures on April 22, and the annual rate eased from 3.6% in February 2026. The data are provisional and cover new and existing tenancies. (ons.gov.uk) (gov.uk) England’s average monthly private rent reached £1,434 in March, while Wales was £830 and Scotland was £1,022. Northern Ireland’s latest available average was £880 in January 2026, up 5.0% year on year. (ons.gov.uk) The regional picture was uneven. In England, annual rent inflation was highest in the North East at 6.5% and lowest in London at 1.7%. (ons.gov.uk) The average headline also hides big gaps by property type and size. Across the UK, detached homes averaged £1,569 a month in March, while flats and maisonettes averaged £1,345; homes with four or more bedrooms averaged £2,049, against £1,117 for one-bedroom properties. (ons.gov.uk) Supply remains a central pressure point. In the English Private Landlord Survey 2024, 31% of landlords said they planned to reduce their portfolio over the next two years, including 16% who said they planned to sell all their properties. (gov.uk) Policy is shifting at the same time. A government information sheet says the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 takes effect in England on May 1, 2026, ending Section 21 no-fault evictions and moving most tenants onto periodic agreements. (gov.uk 1) (gov.uk 2) For lower-income renters, benefit support has not kept pace with market rents. Government tables for 2025-26 kept Local Housing Allowance rates at the same levels set from April 2024. (gov.uk) (legislation.gov.uk) That leaves a housing market where rent growth has slowed from late 2025, but monthly costs are still rising and the stock of homes available to let remains under pressure. (ons.gov.uk) (gov.uk)
