UK Rent Statistics 2026: Key facts, costs & the latest rental trends

Renting in the UK has become more expensive in 2026, with the average monthly private rent now sitting at £1,393.

While the pace of rent increases has slowed from the highs seen a few years ago, the latest figures show prices are still going up. For renters, that means affordability is still a challenge, while getting accepted for a property can bring its own hurdles.

From passing affordability checks to finding a guarantor, there is far more to the UK rental market than the monthly rent alone.

Here are the latest UK rent statistics for 2026, covering average rent, rent increases, affordability, guarantors and how the private rental market is changing.

UK rent statistics at a glance

The average UK private rent reached £1,393 per month in July 2026, following a 3.7% increase in the space of a year.

Renting is still a major part of the UK housing market. In England alone, around 4.7 million households privately rent, representing roughly one in five households.

At the same time, the amount renters pay and the barriers they face can look very different depending on their age, income and where they live.

Some headline stats about the market include:

• The average UK private rent is £1,393 per month (ONS).
• UK private rents increased by 3.7% in the 12 months to July 2026 (ONS).
• The average monthly rent in London is £2,317 (ONS).
• The average monthly rent in the North East is £783 (ONS).
• Around 4.7 million households in England privately rent their home (English Housing Survey).
• Private renters make up 19% of households in England (English Housing Survey).
• 22% of private renters were asked to provide a guarantor before moving into their accommodation (English Housing Survey).
• 32% of private renters in 2024-25 say they find it fairly or very difficult to afford their rent (English Housing Survey).
• The overall rate of overcrowding in England in 2024-25 was 3%, with approximately 824,000 households living in overcrowded conditions. (Gov UK).
• The average rent for a newly let property reached £1,321 per month in June 2026, up £30 or 2.1% in a year (Zoopla)
• The average rental deposit reached £1,170.63 in the first five months of 2025, up from £948.88 in 2022 (Deposit Protection Service)
• The average UK tenancy now lasts 1,085 days on average - equivalent to around two years and nine months (Deposit Protection Service)
• Around 254,000 buy-to-let properties were listed for sale in Great Britain in the year to March 2026 - equivalent to almost 700 properties a day (Financial Times)

What is the average rent in the UK in 2026?

The average monthly private rent in the UK is £1,393, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. That's £50 more per month than renters were paying a year earlier.

While £50 may not sound like a big increase on its own, it means someone paying the UK average is now spending around £16,716 a year on rent, before council tax, energy, broadband and other household costs are taken into account.

• The average UK private rent is £1,393 per month (ONS).
• Someone paying the current UK average rent would spend £16,716 over a year (ONS).
• The average UK private rent is £50 per month higher than it was in July 2025 (ONS).

How much has UK rent increased?

Average UK private rents increased by 3.7% in the 12 months to July 2026.

Rent increases had been slowing down, but the latest figures suggest that trend may be changing. Annual rent growth increased from 3.3% in June to 3.7% in July, making it the highest annual rate recorded since December 2025.

London was one of the main reasons behind the increase, with annual rent growth in the capital jumping from 2.2% to 3.0% in the space of a month.

• UK private rents increased by 3.7% in the 12 months to July 2026 (ONS).
• UK private rents had increased by 3.3% in the 12 months to June 2026 (ONS).
• UK private rents increased by 4.0% in the 12 months to December 2025 (ONS).
• London's annual rental growth increased from 2.2% in June 2026 to 3.0% in July 2026 (ONS).

What is the average rent across the UK?

England has the highest average rent of the four UK nations at £1,451 per month.

There remains a big difference between what renters pay depending on where in the UK they live.

Wales currently has the lowest national average at £843 per month, while Scotland sits at £1,016.

• The average monthly private rent in England is £1,451 (ONS).
• The average monthly private rent in Wales is £843 (ONS).
• The average monthly private rent in Scotland is £1,016 (ONS).
• The average monthly private rent in Northern Ireland was £875 in May 2026 (ONS).
• Wales saw the fastest annual rent increase of the four UK nations at 4.5% (ONS).
• Scotland had the slowest annual rent increase at 1.7% (ONS).

Where is rent most expensive in England?

London remains by far the most expensive English region for renters, with an average monthly rent of £2,317.

At the opposite end of the country, the North East has an average monthly rent of £783.

That leaves a difference of £1,534 every month. Over a year, someone paying London's average rent spends £18,408 more than someone paying the North East average.

Interestingly, the North East is also the region where rents are currently rising fastest.

• The average monthly rent in London is £2,317 (ONS).
• The average monthly rent in the North East is £783 (ONS).
• An average London renter pays £1,534 more per month than an average renter in the North East (ONS).
• Private rents in the North East increased by 6.3% in the 12 months to July 2026 (ONS).
• Private rents in London increased by 3.0% in the 12 months to July 2026 (ONS).
• The South East had the lowest annual rental inflation of any English region at 2.9% (ONS).

What are the most and least expensive places to rent in the UK?

Kensington and Chelsea is the most expensive local rental area in the UK, with an average monthly rent of £3,629.

At the other end of the scale, Dumfries and Galloway recorded an average monthly rent of just £554.

That means average rent in the most expensive local area is more than six times the amount paid in the cheapest.

Outside London, Oxford had the highest average monthly rent at £1,966.

• The average monthly rent in Kensington and Chelsea is £3,629 (J Property Management).
• The average monthly rent in Dumfries and Galloway is £554 (ONS).
• The most expensive local rental area has an average rent more than six times higher than the cheapest (ONS).
• Outside London, Oxford has the highest average monthly rent at £1,966 (ONS).

How much does rent change by property size?

A UK property with four or more bedrooms costs an average of £2,067 per month to rent, compared with £1,132 for a one-bedroom property.

Property size makes a big difference to what tenants pay.

There is currently a £935 monthly difference between the average rent for a one-bedroom home and a property with four or more bedrooms.

Property type matters too, with detached homes costing more on average than flats and maisonettes.

• The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom property is £1,132 (ONS).
• The average monthly rent for a property with four or more bedrooms is £2,067 (ONS).
• A property with four or more bedrooms costs an average of £935 more per month than a one-bedroom property (ONS).
• The average monthly rent for a detached property is £1,581 (ONS).
• The average monthly rent for a flat or maisonette is £1,361 (ONS).

How many people rent in the UK?

Around 4.7 million households privately rent in England, accounting for 19% of all households.

Private renting has become a much bigger part of the housing market over the past few decades.

During much of the 1980s and 1990s, private renting accounted for between 9% and 11% of households. Today, around one in five English households privately rent.

• Around 4.7 million households in England privately rent their home (English Housing Survey).
• Private renters account for 19% of households in England (English Housing Survey).
• Owner occupiers account for 65% of households in England (English Housing Survey).
• Social renters account for 16% of households in England (English Housing Survey).

Who is most likely to rent privately?

Young adults are far more likely to privately rent than older generations.

For many people, private renting is the first step after leaving their family home or university, before they are in a position to buy.

As house prices and deposits have increased, however, that period of renting can last much longer.

• 43% of households headed by someone aged 16 to 34 privately rent their home (English Housing Survey).
• 18% of households headed by someone aged 35 to 64 privately rent their home (English Housing Survey).
• 6% of households headed by someone aged 65 or over privately rent their home (English Housing Survey).
• 69% of households headed by someone aged 16 to 24 privately rent their home (English Housing Survey).

How many UK renters come from overseas?

Private renting has a much more international population than owner-occupied housing, especially in major cities and university areas, where international students and professionals make up an important part of rental demand.

For someone who has recently moved to the UK, securing a property can sometimes be harder because they may not have a long UK credit history or a family member in the country who can act as a rent guarantor.

• 68% of private renting households have a household reference person from the UK or Republic of Ireland (English Housing Survey).
• 88% of social renting households have a household reference person from the UK or Republic of Ireland (English Housing Survey).
• 95% of owner-occupied households have a household reference person from the UK or Republic of Ireland (English Housing Survey).

How much of their income do renters spend on rent?

Rent takes up a big chunk of household income, especially for younger people and those living in expensive areas. For renters aged 16 to 34, housing costs can account for well over a third of household income.

• Private renters aged 16 to 34 without dependent children spend an average of 38% of their income on rent (English Housing Survey).
• Private renters aged 16 to 34 with dependent children spend an average of 31% of their income on rent (English Housing Survey).
• Private renters living in urban areas spend an average of 35% of their household income on rent (English Housing Survey).
• Private renters living in suburban areas spend an average of 26% of their household income on rent (English Housing Survey).
• Private renters living in rural areas spend an average of 30% of their household income on rent (English Housing Survey).

How many UK renters struggle to afford their rent?

Almost one in three private renters in England say they find it difficult to pay their rent.

The latest English Housing Survey found 32% of private renters found it either fairly or very difficult to afford their rent in 2024-25.

That's up from 27% five years earlier.

• 32% of private renters find it fairly or very difficult to afford their rent (English Housing Survey).
• In 2019-20, 27% of private renters found it fairly or very difficult to afford their rent (English Housing Survey).
• Average private rent increased from £201 per week in 2019-20 to £250 per week in 2024-25 (English Housing Survey).
• More than half of private renters - 56% - said they would be unable to afford a rent increase of 10% or more (Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
• Almost one in four private renters - 24% - said they could not afford any increase in rent without cutting back on other household bills (Joseph Rowntree Foundation)

How many private renters fall behind with their rent?

Around 5% of private renters in England were either in rent arrears or had fallen behind with their rent during the previous 12 months.

Most private renters continue to pay their rent on time, but hundreds of thousands of households experience a period where meeting the monthly payment becomes difficult.

• 2% of private renters were currently in rent arrears (English Housing Survey).
• A further 3% of private renters had fallen behind with their rent during the previous 12 months but were no longer in arrears (English Housing Survey).
• Overall, 5% of private renters had experienced rent arrears at some point during the previous year (English Housing Survey).
• In 2019-20, 8% of private renters had experienced rent arrears during the previous year (English Housing Survey).

How many UK renters need a guarantor?

More than one in five private renters in England are asked to provide a guarantor before moving into a property.

A rent guarantor agrees to cover the rent if the tenant cannot pay, giving the landlord an additional level of reassurance. Traditionally, renters have often asked a parent or family member to act as their guarantor. That isn't an option for everyone.

International students, people moving to the UK, self-employed renters and people whose family members don't meet a landlord's guarantor requirements can all find themselves needing another solution.

• 22% of private renters were asked to provide a guarantor before moving into their accommodation in 2024-25 (English Housing Survey).
• Around 984,000 private renting households were asked to provide a guarantor in 2023-24 (English Housing Survey).
• Around 940,000 private renting households were asked to provide a guarantor in 2022-23 (English Housing Survey).

How much rent do UK tenants pay upfront?

More than 600,000 private renting households paid rent in advance on top of their deposit in 2024-25.

Paying several months of rent upfront was previously one way renters who couldn't meet standard referencing requirements could make their application more attractive to a landlord.

However, the rules changed in England on 1 May 2026 with the introduction of the Renters' Rights Act.

• Around 626,000 private renting households paid rent in advance in addition to a deposit (English Housing Survey).
• Of the households that paid rent in advance, 70% paid one month or less (English Housing Survey).
• Of the households that paid rent in advance, 18% paid more than one month and up to two months (English Housing Survey).
• Of the households that paid rent in advance, 8% paid more than four months (English Housing Survey).

How many private renters live in overcrowded homes?

Around 286,000 privately renting households in England are living in overcrowded conditions.

That represents 6% of the private rented sector.

Private renters are considerably more likely to live in overcrowded accommodation than homeowners.

• Around 286,000 privately renting households in England live in overcrowded conditions (English Housing Survey).
• 6% of private rented households are overcrowded (English Housing Survey).
• Just 1% of owner-occupied households are overcrowded (English Housing Survey).
• The proportion of private rented households living in overcrowded conditions has increased from 5% a decade ago to 6% today (English Housing Survey).
• The overall rate of overcrowding in England in 2024-25 was 3%, with approximately 824,000 households living in overcrowded conditions. (Gov UK).

How long do private renters stay in their homes?

Private renters move more frequently than homeowners.

The average homeowner has lived in their current property for more than three times as long as the average private renter.

• Private renters have lived in their current home for an average of around 4.7 years (English Housing Survey).
• Social renters have lived in their current home for an average of around 12 years (English Housing Survey).
• Owner occupiers have lived in their current home for an average of around 17 years (English Housing Survey).
• 20% of private renters had lived in their current property for less than one year in 2023-24 (English Housing Survey).
• The average tenancy in England and Wales reached 1,085 days - almost three years - in 2025 (Deposit Protection Service)
• The average tenancy was 37.25% longer in 2025 than in 2021, increasing from 773 days to 1,085 days (Deposit Protection Service)

Do private renters feel secure in their homes?

Most private renters feel secure in their homes, but around one in nine do not feel safe from eviction.

The latest English Housing Survey found 79% of private renters felt safe from eviction.

• 79% of private renters feel safe from eviction (English Housing Survey).
• 11% of private renters do not feel safe from eviction (English Housing Survey).
• 17% of private renters do not feel their housing situation is stable enough to make long-term decisions (English Housing Survey).
• 80% of private renters say their current accommodation gives them a sense of home (English Housing Survey).

Are private renters happy with their homes?

More than four in five private renters are satisfied with their homes.

Despite the pressure created by high rents, the majority of renters remain happy with the home itself.

• 81% of private renters are satisfied with their accommodation (English Housing Survey).
• 94% of owner occupiers are satisfied with their accommodation (English Housing Survey).
• 75% of social renters are satisfied with their accommodation (English Housing Survey).

What does the UK rental market look like in 2026?

UK rents are still rising, millions of households remain in the private rented sector and affordability continues to be one of the biggest challenges facing tenants.

The picture isn't quite as simple as rents going up, though.

Where you live makes an enormous difference. The average renter in London pays almost three times as much as someone in the North East, while some of the fastest rent increases are currently happening outside the capital.

There are also pressures beyond the rent itself. Almost one in three private renters find their rent difficult to afford, more than one in five are asked for a guarantor and hundreds of thousands of households have previously relied on paying rent upfront to secure a tenancy.

• The average UK private rent is £1,393 per month (ONS).
• 32% of private renters find it fairly or very difficult to afford their rent (English Housing Survey).
• 22% of private renters were asked to provide a guarantor before moving into their accommodation (English Housing Survey).
• Around 626,000 private renting households paid rent in advance as well as a deposit before the 2026 reforms (English Housing Survey).

For renters who don't have a suitable friend or family member to act as their guarantor, Rentmigo offers another route.

Our rent guarantor service is designed for renters who need a UK guarantor to secure their home, including students, international renters, self-employed tenants and others who may not fit neatly into traditional referencing requirements.

Find out how Rentmigo works and see whether we can help you secure your next home.

Sources: This report was last updated in August 2026. Rentmigo has compiled the latest available rental market data from the Office for National Statistics, English Housing Survey, Deposit Protection Service, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and other recognised housing sources.