Average Rent Data Conflicts Are Too Confusing
Conflicting data from a flurry of rent surveys in October 2019 sparks the question of who landlords should believe.
The surveys are just three of an increasing number published monthly by mortgage lenders, letting agents and trade bodies vying for space in a crowded media.
The results are always different because each report is based on an incomparable sample of data typically drawn from the organisation's customers.
According to Hamptons, part of the Countrywide group of letting and estate agents, average UK rents are just £2 short of tipping the £1,000 a month ceiling.
Homelet, a tenant referencing and insurance firm, disagrees and puts the average UK rent at £967. Both compare rents for new tenancies in September 2018 with those in September 2019.
The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) publishes a rolling quarterly comparison showing the average UK rent as £778 a month. Which one is right?
The answer is none of them, as average rents across a region are not a comparison for landlords or tenants.
Rents depend on home type, location, facilities, and other property and location variables.
How surveys (October 2019) report UK rent changes
| DPS* | Hamptons | Homelet | ||||
| Average rent | Quarterly Change | Average rent | YoY Change | Average rent | YoY Change | |
| Scotland | £619 | -1.02% | £667 | 1.80% | £676 | 2.00% |
| North East | £526 | 0.65% | £657 | 1.00% | £535 | 3.10% |
| North West | £596 | 0.18% | £739 | 4.40% | ||
| Yorkshire & Humber | £552 | 3.60% | £657 | 2.00% | ||
| Northern Ireland | £533 | 2.18% | - | - | £673 | 1.40% |
| East Midlands | £578 | -2.17% | £693 | 0.40% | £653 | 3.80% |
| West Midlands | £620 | -0.19% | £718 | 2.40% | ||
| East of England | £821 | 1.53% | £984 | 2.10% | £927 | 1.30% |
| Wales | £578 | -143% | £673 | -1.40% | £634 | 2.10% |
| London | £1,333 | 1.03% | £1,745 | 1.80% | £1,694 | 3.30% |
| South West | £743 | 1.58% | £851 | 4.50% | £846 | 3.40% |
| South East | £880 | 0.23% | £1,096 | 3.80% | £1,045 | 0.20% |
| UK | £778 | 0.91% | £998 | 1.80% | £967 | 2.50% |
- DPS data is Q3 2019 compared with Q2 2019 Homelet and Hamptons data compare September 2018 to September 2019
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