Renting an apartment in Cambridge cost on average more than ***** British pounds per month in December 2023, making it the most expensive cities for renters in the UK after London. In London, the average rent ranged between ***** British pounds and ***** British pounds depending on the location. On the other hand, Northern Ireland, Wales, and North East were the regions with the most affordable rents.

The average agreed rent for new tenancies in the UK ranged from *** British pounds to ***** British pounds, depending on the region. On average, renters outside of London paid ***** British pounds, whereas in London, this figure amounted to ***** British pounds. Rents have been on the rise for many years, but the period after the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend. Since 2015, the average rent in the UK increased by about ** percent, with about half of that gain achieved in the period after the pandemic. Why have UK rents increased so much? One of the main reasons driving up rental prices is the declining affordability of homeownership. Historically, house prices grew faster than rents, making renting more financially feasible than buying. In 2022, when the house price to rent ratio index peaked, house prices had outgrown rents by nearly ** percent since 2015. As house prices peaked in 2022, home buying slowed, exacerbating demand for rental properties and leading to soaring rental prices. How expensive is too expensive? Although there is no official requirement about the proportion of income spent on rent for it to be considered affordable, a popular rule is that rent should not exceed more than ** percent of income. In 2024, most renters in the UK exceeded that threshold, with the southern regions significantly more likely to spend upward of ** percent of their income on rent. Rental affordability has sparked a move away from the capital to other regions in the UK, such as the South East (Brighton and Southampton), the West Midlands (Birmingham) and the North West (Liverpool, Manchester, Blackpool and Preston).

An experimental price index tracking the prices paid for renting property from private landlords in the United Kingdom

Between 2008 and 2024, the average weekly rent for private renters in England has shown a significant increase. In the 2009, the average rent was 153 British pounds, and by 2024, it had risen to 237 British pounds. Excluding London, the average rent started at 130 British pounds in 2009 and reached 191 British pounds in 2024, demonstrating a similar upward trend but at a lower rate compared to the overall average in England. Rental households in England Renting is common in England. Nearly one in five households occupied a dwelling that was privately rented in 2024. While the majority of households in the country live in an owner-occupied home, this percentage has declined since the early 2000s. Meanwhile, the share of households occupying a private rental has doubled over the past decade. This shows a growing rental sector and a shift in tenure trends in the country. Buying vs renting costs For a long time, the average monthly costs of buying a home were lower than renting. In 2021, housing costs started to increase steeply, closely followed by rental costs. This resulted in the gap nearly closing in 2023. This trend can also be observed through the house price to rent ratio - an index that follows the development of house prices relative to rents, with 2015 as a baseline year. Between 2015 and 2022, the ratio grew steadily, indicating that property prices rise faster than rents. However, with rental growth accelerating and catching up with property prices in 2022, the index declined notably.

Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) data chain-linked to Index of Private Housing Rental Prices. This is a historical series from January 2005 to February 2025.

Median monthly rental prices for the private rental market in England by bedroom category, region and administrative area, calculated using data from the Valuation Office Agency and Office for National Statistics.

Rental price statistics historical data time series (indices and annual percentage change). These are official statistics in development.

The average monthly home rental payment in the United Kingdom (UK) increased steadily since 2008, reaching 1, 258 British pounds in December 2023. In comparison, the average home buying costs amounted to 1,231 British Pounds that year, meaning that homeowners saved 27 British pounds monthly from the difference.

Private Rental Prices in the United Kingdom decreased to 7.40 percent in April from 7.70 percent in March of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for the United Kingdom Private Rental Prices.

In January 2025, the average monthly rent in Greater London reached 2,227 British pounds, confirming its position as the most expensive area for private tenants. Rental prices across England stood at 1,375 British pounds, while the average for Great Britain was recorded at 1,332 British pounds. The North East remains the most affordable region, with rents at 710 British pounds. According to the UK Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR), rental growth has accelerated since 2021, with the cost of rental properties rising by nearly nine percent annually in January 2025.

This dataset is no longer being updated due to redevelopment of private rental prices statistics, impact analysis, UK, please see more information here: Redevelopment of private rental prices statistics, impact analysis, UK - Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk).

The Index of Private Housing Rental Prices (IPHRP) is a quarterly experimental price index. It tracks the prices paid for renting property from private landlords in Great Britain.

IPHRP is produced from a number of administrative sources and is classified as experimental by ONS.

The index compares trends (rather than levels) in average private sector rents across English regions, Wales and Scotland. It uses a complex mix-adjustment and weighting process to produce a single index for each area. This index uses data on actual new and ongoing rents.

The sample ensures that the index is representative of the stock at regional level and that it isn't distorted by units dropping out of the sample because they switch to LHA or for other reasons. This is an advantage over the VOA dataset where the sample is changing over time and may not be representative.

Tables show monthly data. Data is updated once a quarter.

Index level (January 2011 = 100). Not seasonally adjusted.

See more on the ONS Website

The Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) has shown significant growth, reaching a value of 117.9 in January 2025. This marks an increase of approximately 17.9 percent since January 2023, reflecting a robust upward trend in rental prices. Notably, the index saw a steady rise throughout 2024, with an annual percentage change peaking at 9.2 percent in March 2024. Mainstream properties are forecast to see rents further increase until 2028.

Renting an office space in the UK was the most expensive in London West End in 2025. In the first quarter of the year, the square foot cost of a prime office space cost 170 British pounds. Conversely, Belfast was the most affordable of the 18 markets ranked, at 26 British pounds per square foot.

London was the most expensive city to buy an apartment in, with an average value of 13,335 euros per square meter in the first quarter of 2024. The price of an apartment in Leeds was significantly lower at approximately 4,210 euros per square meter.

Households from the Black Caribbean, Mixed White and Black Caribbean, and Bangladeshi ethnic groups were most likely to rent social housing in the 2 years from April 2021 to March 2023.

Presents information on the average weekly rents for rented local authority dwellings in England.

This release has now been replaced by Local Authority Housing Statistics: Local Authority-owned stock and stock management which will be released on Thursday 20th December 2012.

Source agency: Communities and Local Government

Designation: Official Statistics not designated as National Statistics

Language: English

Alternative title: Local Authority Average Weekly Rents By District, England