Loading Guild Resources
Loading Guild Resources
Loading Guild Resources
The cost of private renting is still going up as the average monthly payment rose by 3.5 percent, to £1,381 in April 2026.
Monthly rent inflation was up slightly from 3.4 percent in the year to March, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics.
Rents stubbornly outpace inflation, which stands at 2.8 percent for April 2026.
The ONS report says across the UK, tenants are paying an average rent of £1,381 a month - £46 a month more than a year ago.
Average monthly rents in England increased to £1,438 (+3.5 percent) and to £834 (+4.9 percent) in Wales. Private rents annual inflation was highest in the North East (6.5 percent), and lowest in London (2.0 percent).
However, actual rents were highest in London - an average £2,290 a month - and lowest in the North East, where they averaged £776 monthly.
In Wales, tenants are paying a £39 a month increase from a year earlier. This annual rise was higher than the 4.8 percent increase in the 12 months to March but down from the most recent peak of 8.9 percent in March 2025.
In Scotland, renters are paying an average £1,019 (+2.0 percent).
In April, average monthly rents were highest in Kensington and Chelsea, London (£3,597 monthly) and lowest in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland (£552 monthly). Excluding London, the local area with the highest average monthly rent in April was Oxford (£1,956 monthly).
The table shows how rents are performing in the different regions for the year to April 2026.
| Region | Year-on-year change |
|---|---|
| North East | 6.5% |
| North West | 5.8% |
| South West | 5.1% |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 4.7% |
| West Midlands | 4.5% |
| East of England | 4.0% |
| East Midlands | 3.8% |
| South East | 3.0% |
| London | 2.1% |
| England | 3.5% |
| Wales | 4.9% |
| UK | 3.5% |
Source: ONS
The ONS local housing statistics tool summarises the latest private rents and house price statistics for local areas across the UK.
The average UK monthly private rent in April was highest for detached properties (£1,571) and lowest for flats and maisonettes (£1,350), says the ONS.
Average UK private rent was highest for properties with four or more bedrooms (£2,055) and lowest for properties with one bedroom (£1,121).
Rent figures for April from Homelet, the tenant referencing service, broadly echoed those from the ONS.
The firm calculated the average UK rent as £1,325 monthly and a 2.1 percent annual increase.