Average rents rise £888 a year

12:01 AM, 5th October 2026, 15 hours ago

Tenants face an extra £888 a year in rent after Britain’s monthly average rose by 4.9% in September compared with a year earlier.

However, the East of England bucked the increase, with rents falling slightly over the same period.

Goodlord’s latest index puts the average monthly rent at £1,581, up from £1,507 in September 2025.

There was also a rise between August and September, with rents increasing by 0.9%.

Pace of rent growth

The firm’s chief executive William Reeve said: “Overall, rental averages continue to outstrip inflation year-on-year – highlighting the ongoing supply and demand pressures.

“But the overall pace of rent growth does appear to be slowing, particularly in certain regions.”

He added: “Key factors, such as the sharp drop in net migration figures, are likely to be helping ease some of the supply/demand imbalance we’ve seen over recent years.”

North East rent rises

The North East recorded the largest annual increase, with rents rising by 13.9% to £1,000 a month.

It also had the biggest increase between August and September.

Among the three nations covered, Wales recorded annual growth of 7.4%, compared with 5.5% in England and 2.8% in Scotland.

Meanwhile, the East Midlands has recorded diminishing annual growth rates for two years, according to the index.

Voids fall in September

Landlord properties stood empty between tenancies for an average of 20 days in September, down from 21 in August.

The North East had the shortest average void period at 11 days.

At the other end of the scale, landlords in Yorkshire and the Humber faced an average gap of 29 days between tenancies.

Yorkshire and the Humber was also the only area tracked where rents dipped between August and September.