The Office for National Statistics published its Price Index of Private Rents on 16 September 2026, covering August 2026. The average private rent in England was £1,459 a month, 4.0% higher than a year earlier. The index measures rents on new and existing tenancies, so it moves more slowly than the asking rents on property portals, and it is the figure the government’s statisticians use.
The ONS publishes the figures for every council. Read for England on 6 October 2026, the short version:
- Rents are rising fastest in the north. The North East and North West were both up 5.8%, the South East least, at 3.0%.
- The fastest-rising councils were Tewkesbury (+13.4%), Kirklees (+12.8%) and Oldham (+12.5%).
- Rents fell in 11 of 294 councils, including Westminster, Kingston upon Thames and Brighton and Hove. The biggest fall was Wyre Forest (-2.4%).
- 140 councils rose faster than England’s 4.0%.
- The most expensive council was Kensington and Chelsea (£3,690 a month), the cheapest Hartlepool (£558). Outside London, Oxford was the most expensive at £1,963.
- England’s annual rate slowed every month from 5.8% in August 2025 to 3.5% in January 2026, held between 3.4% and 3.6% until June, then picked up in July (3.8%) and August (4.0%).
England, month by month
| Month | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| August 2025 | £1,403 | +5.8% |
| September 2025 | £1,410 | +5.5% |
| October 2025 | £1,416 | +5.0% |
| November 2025 | £1,422 | +4.4% |
| December 2025 | £1,424 | +3.9% |
| January 2026 | £1,423 | +3.5% |
| February 2026 | £1,430 | +3.6% |
| March 2026 | £1,434 | +3.4% |
| April 2026 | £1,438 | +3.5% |
| May 2026 | £1,442 | +3.4% |
| June 2026 | £1,446 | +3.4% |
| July 2026 | £1,451 | +3.8% |
| August 2026 | £1,459 | +4.0% |
By region
| Region | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| North East | £788 | +5.8% |
| North West | £969 | +5.8% |
| West Midlands | £982 | +4.9% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £865 | +4.9% |
| South West | £1,245 | +4.4% |
| East Midlands | £922 | +3.7% |
| London | £2,332 | +3.5% |
| East of England | £1,289 | +3.5% |
| South East | £1,426 | +3.0% |
London is still by far the most expensive region at £2,332 a month, but its rents rose more slowly than every other region except the East of England (also 3.5%) and the South East. The cheapest region, the North East, rose fastest, level with the North West.
The fastest-rising councils
| Council | Region | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tewkesbury | South West | £1,093 | +13.4% |
| Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | £782 | +12.8% |
| Oldham | North West | £942 | +12.5% |
| Knowsley | North West | £858 | +11.4% |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | £945 | +11.1% |
| Bolton | North West | £894 | +11.1% |
| Redditch | West Midlands | £976 | +11.1% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | South East | £1,178 | +10.6% |
| West Lindsey | East Midlands | £741 | +10.2% |
| North West Leicestershire | East Midlands | £914 | +9.9% |
Five of the ten are in the North West and West Midlands, where rents are well below England’s average. Wolverhampton, Bolton and Redditch are level at 11.1%. The ONS warns that council figures can be volatile, because they depend on the homes collected in a given month, and that longer-term trends matter more than one month’s movement.
Where rents fell
| Council | Region | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wyre Forest | West Midlands | £825 | -2.4% |
| Waverley | South East | £1,459 | -2.0% |
| Woking | South East | £1,620 | -1.6% |
| Broxtowe | East Midlands | £942 | -1.5% |
| Brighton and Hove | South East | £1,808 | -1.2% |
| Kingston upon Thames | London | £1,811 | -1.2% |
| Worthing | South East | £1,297 | -0.8% |
| Runnymede | South East | £1,586 | -0.7% |
| Westminster | London | £3,196 | -0.6% |
| North Devon | South West | £846 | -0.3% |
| Forest of Dean | South West | £828 | -0.1% |
Seven of the eleven are in the South East or London, among the most expensive places to rent in England.
Most expensive and cheapest
The ten most expensive councils are all London boroughs:
| Council | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | £3,690 | +2.1% |
| Westminster | £3,196 | -0.6% |
| Islington | £2,868 | +6.2% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £2,825 | +3.3% |
| Camden | £2,819 | +1.0% |
| Hackney | £2,658 | +3.6% |
| Wandsworth | £2,632 | +4.2% |
| Lambeth | £2,525 | +3.7% |
| Southwark | £2,474 | +5.4% |
| Tower Hamlets | £2,453 | +3.5% |
The ten cheapest:
| Council | Region | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartlepool | North East | £558 | +0.3% |
| Burnley | North West | £631 | +2.9% |
| North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £643 | +6.6% |
| Redcar and Cleveland | North East | £644 | +1.0% |
| Hyndburn | North West | £648 | +3.7% |
| County Durham | North East | £650 | +6.1% |
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £653 | +6.0% |
| Pendle | North West | £670 | +6.3% |
| Cumberland | North West | £681 | +7.0% |
| Rotherham | Yorkshire and The Humber | £686 | +3.2% |
By size of home
Average monthly rent by number of bedrooms, August 2026:
| Area | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | £1,195 | £1,335 | £1,489 | £2,161 |
| North East | £554 | £697 | £835 | £1,217 |
| North West | £702 | £882 | £1,056 | £1,499 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £614 | £769 | £914 | £1,323 |
| East Midlands | £649 | £826 | £994 | £1,406 |
| West Midlands | £711 | £885 | £1,051 | £1,484 |
| East of England | £894 | £1,145 | £1,392 | £1,974 |
| London | £1,760 | £2,232 | £2,643 | £3,646 |
| South East | £993 | £1,273 | £1,552 | £2,213 |
| South West | £830 | £1,065 | £1,297 | £1,872 |
What this means for a rent review
A council average is not the market rent of a particular home. Under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 rent goes up once a year through a Section 13 notice, and a tenant can challenge a proposed rent above the open market rent at the First-tier Tribunal. In the rent challenges decided since 1 May 2026, the tribunal set a lower rent than the landlord proposed in about seven of ten, working from comparable lettings of similar homes nearby.
So the figures here are a sense check, not a target. If a proposed increase is well above what the ONS shows for the area, the evidence for that particular home has to carry it. The steps are in how to serve a Section 13 notice. LetCompliance fills in Form 4A from the tenancy’s own records on paid plans and works out the earliest date the new rent can start.
Every council in England
Average monthly private rent and the change on a year earlier, August 2026, by region:
| Council | Region | Average rent | Change on a year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amber Valley | East Midlands | £799 | +4.0% |
| Ashfield | East Midlands | £795 | +4.9% |
| Bassetlaw | East Midlands | £727 | +2.3% |
| Blaby | East Midlands | £998 | +5.6% |
| Bolsover | East Midlands | £706 | +4.2% |
| Boston | East Midlands | £806 | +2.1% |
| Broxtowe | East Midlands | £942 | -1.5% |
| Charnwood | East Midlands | £960 | +4.2% |
| Chesterfield | East Midlands | £758 | +2.7% |
| Derby | East Midlands | £860 | +3.1% |
| Derbyshire Dales | East Midlands | £819 | +9.0% |
| East Lindsey | East Midlands | £704 | +6.9% |
| Erewash | East Midlands | £834 | +2.4% |
| Gedling | East Midlands | £904 | +3.4% |
| Harborough | East Midlands | £973 | +3.8% |
| High Peak | East Midlands | £937 | +7.3% |
| Hinckley and Bosworth | East Midlands | £934 | +3.5% |
| Leicester | East Midlands | £1,023 | +1.6% |
| Lincoln | East Midlands | £942 | +4.6% |
| Mansfield | East Midlands | £790 | +4.4% |
| Melton | East Midlands | £806 | +7.1% |
| Newark and Sherwood | East Midlands | £818 | +5.3% |
| North East Derbyshire | East Midlands | £791 | +3.8% |
| North Kesteven | East Midlands | £824 | +5.9% |
| North Northamptonshire | East Midlands | £992 | +5.2% |
| North West Leicestershire | East Midlands | £914 | +9.9% |
| Nottingham | East Midlands | £1,014 | +1.8% |
| Oadby and Wigston | East Midlands | £1,024 | +3.1% |
| Rushcliffe | East Midlands | £1,047 | +2.8% |
| Rutland | East Midlands | £961 | +1.9% |
| South Derbyshire | East Midlands | £882 | +4.6% |
| South Holland | East Midlands | £775 | +4.2% |
| South Kesteven | East Midlands | £845 | +1.8% |
| West Lindsey | East Midlands | £741 | +10.2% |
| West Northamptonshire | East Midlands | £1,084 | +3.3% |
| Babergh | East of England | £965 | +3.3% |
| Basildon | East of England | £1,424 | +5.4% |
| Bedford | East of England | £1,173 | +3.0% |
| Braintree | East of England | £1,213 | +2.0% |
| Breckland | East of England | £928 | +3.7% |
| Brentwood | East of England | £1,620 | +2.5% |
| Broadland | East of England | £938 | +4.1% |
| Broxbourne | East of England | £1,685 | +3.0% |
| Cambridge | East of England | £1,805 | +1.8% |
| Castle Point | East of England | £1,262 | +4.8% |
| Central Bedfordshire | East of England | £1,250 | +3.7% |
| Chelmsford | East of England | £1,439 | +2.4% |
| Colchester | East of England | £1,197 | +2.1% |
| Dacorum | East of England | £1,594 | +1.3% |
| East Cambridgeshire | East of England | £1,038 | +0.5% |
| East Hertfordshire | East of England | £1,533 | +3.5% |
| East Suffolk | East of England | £842 | +5.1% |
| Epping Forest | East of England | £1,844 | +5.6% |
| Fenland | East of England | £842 | +3.7% |
| Great Yarmouth | East of England | £841 | +7.6% |
| Harlow | East of England | £1,521 | +4.0% |
| Hertsmere | East of England | £1,829 | +3.6% |
| Huntingdonshire | East of England | £1,057 | +3.7% |
| Ipswich | East of England | £995 | +4.3% |
| King's Lynn and West Norfolk | East of England | £941 | +3.8% |
| Luton | East of England | £1,222 | +2.7% |
| Maldon | East of England | £1,139 | +3.5% |
| Mid Suffolk | East of England | £1,005 | +6.3% |
| North Hertfordshire | East of England | £1,434 | +5.4% |
| North Norfolk | East of England | £865 | +4.5% |
| Norwich | East of England | £1,142 | +0.6% |
| Peterborough | East of England | £1,012 | +4.9% |
| Rochford | East of England | £1,300 | +5.0% |
| South Cambridgeshire | East of England | £1,408 | +3.4% |
| South Norfolk | East of England | £981 | +3.1% |
| Southend-on-Sea | East of England | £1,306 | +4.9% |
| St Albans | East of England | £1,931 | +2.9% |
| Stevenage | East of England | £1,440 | +4.4% |
| Tendring | East of England | £1,053 | +4.1% |
| Three Rivers | East of England | £1,826 | +2.2% |
| Thurrock | East of England | £1,380 | +4.8% |
| Uttlesford | East of England | £1,289 | +0.4% |
| Watford | East of England | £1,829 | +2.6% |
| Welwyn Hatfield | East of England | £1,512 | +3.5% |
| West Suffolk | East of England | £1,183 | +4.3% |
| Barking and Dagenham | London | £1,698 | +2.6% |
| Barnet | London | £1,949 | +3.3% |
| Bexley | London | £1,537 | +1.6% |
| Brent | London | £2,014 | +3.4% |
| Bromley | London | £1,684 | +2.7% |
| Camden | London | £2,819 | +1.0% |
| Croydon | London | £1,582 | +3.2% |
| Ealing | London | £2,109 | +3.0% |
| Enfield | London | £1,827 | +5.1% |
| Greenwich | London | £1,995 | +6.1% |
| Hackney | London | £2,658 | +3.6% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | London | £2,825 | +3.3% |
| Haringey | London | £2,219 | +1.4% |
| Harrow | London | £1,778 | +2.9% |
| Havering | London | £1,565 | +1.5% |
| Hillingdon | London | £1,570 | +2.5% |
| Hounslow | London | £1,952 | +3.2% |
| Islington | London | £2,868 | +6.2% |
| Kensington and Chelsea | London | £3,690 | +2.1% |
| Kingston upon Thames | London | £1,811 | -1.2% |
| Lambeth | London | £2,525 | +3.7% |
| Lewisham | London | £1,829 | +2.0% |
| Merton | London | £2,172 | +5.4% |
| Newham | London | £1,928 | +2.9% |
| Redbridge | London | £1,726 | +2.0% |
| Richmond upon Thames | London | £2,333 | +4.4% |
| Southwark | London | £2,474 | +5.4% |
| Sutton | London | £1,556 | +2.1% |
| Tower Hamlets | London | £2,453 | +3.5% |
| Waltham Forest | London | £1,763 | +1.5% |
| Wandsworth | London | £2,632 | +4.2% |
| Westminster | London | £3,196 | -0.6% |
| County Durham | North East | £650 | +6.1% |
| Darlington | North East | £689 | +6.4% |
| Gateshead | North East | £804 | +5.8% |
| Hartlepool | North East | £558 | +0.3% |
| Middlesbrough | North East | £698 | +4.0% |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | North East | £1,215 | +9.3% |
| North Tyneside | North East | £857 | +7.0% |
| Northumberland | North East | £695 | +6.9% |
| Redcar and Cleveland | North East | £644 | +1.0% |
| South Tyneside | North East | £743 | +7.6% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | North East | £735 | +3.6% |
| Sunderland | North East | £707 | +4.6% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | North West | £714 | +4.4% |
| Blackpool | North West | £719 | +7.0% |
| Bolton | North West | £894 | +11.1% |
| Burnley | North West | £631 | +2.9% |
| Bury | North West | £969 | +0.8% |
| Cheshire East | North West | £985 | +6.6% |
| Cheshire West and Chester | North West | £991 | +6.1% |
| Chorley | North West | £798 | +7.1% |
| Cumberland | North West | £681 | +7.0% |
| Fylde | North West | £870 | +5.3% |
| Halton | North West | £749 | +7.1% |
| Hyndburn | North West | £648 | +3.7% |
| Knowsley | North West | £858 | +11.4% |
| Lancaster | North West | £823 | +6.3% |
| Liverpool | North West | £913 | +5.6% |
| Manchester | North West | £1,373 | +4.2% |
| Oldham | North West | £942 | +12.5% |
| Pendle | North West | £670 | +6.3% |
| Preston | North West | £790 | +5.9% |
| Ribble Valley | North West | £818 | +5.4% |
| Rochdale | North West | £855 | +8.5% |
| Rossendale | North West | £811 | +4.3% |
| Salford | North West | £1,170 | +3.3% |
| Sefton | North West | £938 | +5.3% |
| South Ribble | North West | £805 | +5.4% |
| St. Helens | North West | £807 | +6.6% |
| Stockport | North West | £1,119 | +5.4% |
| Tameside | North West | £931 | +5.2% |
| Trafford | North West | £1,369 | +2.5% |
| Warrington | North West | £899 | +5.3% |
| West Lancashire | North West | £805 | +5.6% |
| Westmorland and Furness | North West | £816 | +6.4% |
| Wigan | North West | £746 | +6.6% |
| Wirral | North West | £859 | +7.0% |
| Wyre | North West | £743 | +6.9% |
| Adur | South East | £1,410 | +3.2% |
| Arun | South East | £1,231 | +3.1% |
| Ashford | South East | £1,248 | +3.1% |
| Basingstoke and Deane | South East | £1,309 | +1.5% |
| Bracknell Forest | South East | £1,462 | +1.7% |
| Brighton and Hove | South East | £1,808 | -1.2% |
| Buckinghamshire | South East | £1,475 | +4.9% |
| Canterbury | South East | £1,280 | +5.4% |
| Cherwell | South East | £1,304 | +2.2% |
| Chichester | South East | £1,333 | +2.9% |
| Crawley | South East | £1,488 | +2.8% |
| Dartford | South East | £1,575 | +3.1% |
| Dover | South East | £1,021 | +8.6% |
| East Hampshire | South East | £1,262 | +1.4% |
| Eastbourne | South East | £1,169 | +1.1% |
| Eastleigh | South East | £1,214 | +3.4% |
| Elmbridge | South East | £1,891 | +2.6% |
| Epsom and Ewell | South East | £1,690 | +1.6% |
| Fareham | South East | £1,176 | +0.9% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | South East | £1,178 | +10.6% |
| Gosport | South East | £1,169 | +4.9% |
| Gravesham | South East | £1,336 | +5.3% |
| Guildford | South East | £1,736 | +5.6% |
| Hart | South East | £1,414 | +2.9% |
| Hastings | South East | £1,007 | +1.6% |
| Havant | South East | £1,151 | +3.1% |
| Horsham | South East | £1,474 | +3.8% |
| Isle of Wight | South East | £951 | +7.2% |
| Lewes | South East | £1,333 | +5.9% |
| Maidstone | South East | £1,297 | +3.0% |
| Medway | South East | £1,232 | +1.7% |
| Mid Sussex | South East | £1,423 | +3.4% |
| Milton Keynes | South East | £1,344 | +3.9% |
| Mole Valley | South East | £1,551 | +2.4% |
| New Forest | South East | £1,244 | +1.7% |
| Oxford | South East | £1,963 | +3.5% |
| Portsmouth | South East | £1,368 | +2.4% |
| Reading | South East | £1,574 | +1.4% |
| Reigate and Banstead | South East | £1,640 | +2.3% |
| Rother | South East | £1,165 | +0.7% |
| Runnymede | South East | £1,586 | -0.7% |
| Rushmoor | South East | £1,385 | +4.2% |
| Sevenoaks | South East | £1,809 | +5.0% |
| Slough | South East | £1,565 | +2.2% |
| South Oxfordshire | South East | £1,402 | +3.5% |
| Southampton | South East | £1,257 | +3.4% |
| Spelthorne | South East | £1,696 | +5.6% |
| Surrey Heath | South East | £1,503 | +1.5% |
| Swale | South East | £1,114 | +0.8% |
| Tandridge | South East | £1,637 | +4.4% |
| Test Valley | South East | £1,235 | +6.6% |
| Thanet | South East | £1,118 | +3.7% |
| Tonbridge and Malling | South East | £1,489 | +3.2% |
| Tunbridge Wells | South East | £1,533 | +4.5% |
| Vale of White Horse | South East | £1,352 | +2.9% |
| Waverley | South East | £1,459 | -2.0% |
| Wealden | South East | £1,262 | +1.6% |
| West Berkshire | South East | £1,338 | +5.0% |
| West Oxfordshire | South East | £1,305 | +1.8% |
| Winchester | South East | £1,508 | +4.1% |
| Windsor and Maidenhead | South East | £1,800 | +0.9% |
| Woking | South East | £1,620 | -1.6% |
| Wokingham | South East | £1,466 | +1.8% |
| Worthing | South East | £1,297 | -0.8% |
| Bath and North East Somerset | South West | £1,885 | +7.4% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | South West | £1,398 | +2.8% |
| Bristol | South West | £1,883 | +5.9% |
| Cheltenham | South West | £1,261 | +4.8% |
| Cornwall | South West | £1,000 | +1.8% |
| Cotswold | South West | £1,252 | +6.0% |
| Dorset | South West | £1,056 | +4.9% |
| East Devon | South West | £968 | +6.0% |
| Exeter | South West | £1,318 | +0.5% |
| Forest of Dean | South West | £828 | -0.1% |
| Gloucester | South West | £1,116 | +7.2% |
| Mid Devon | South West | £878 | +1.3% |
| North Devon | South West | £846 | -0.3% |
| North Somerset | South West | £1,209 | +3.2% |
| Plymouth | South West | £1,004 | +4.7% |
| Somerset | South West | £1,016 | +6.2% |
| South Gloucestershire | South West | £1,464 | +4.7% |
| South Hams | South West | £1,012 | +3.2% |
| Stroud | South West | £1,041 | +6.0% |
| Swindon | South West | £1,096 | +4.5% |
| Teignbridge | South West | £961 | +3.6% |
| Tewkesbury | South West | £1,093 | +13.4% |
| Torbay | South West | £920 | +4.0% |
| Torridge | South West | £789 | +2.1% |
| West Devon | South West | £846 | +3.3% |
| Wiltshire | South West | £1,082 | +6.0% |
| Birmingham | West Midlands | £1,099 | +3.0% |
| Bromsgrove | West Midlands | £992 | +2.0% |
| Cannock Chase | West Midlands | £867 | +7.2% |
| Coventry | West Midlands | £1,020 | +2.4% |
| Dudley | West Midlands | £858 | +3.4% |
| East Staffordshire | West Midlands | £858 | +6.6% |
| Herefordshire, County of | West Midlands | £821 | +2.9% |
| Lichfield | West Midlands | £1,103 | +7.5% |
| Malvern Hills | West Midlands | £946 | +8.8% |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | West Midlands | £833 | +7.8% |
| North Warwickshire | West Midlands | £982 | +4.9% |
| Nuneaton and Bedworth | West Midlands | £925 | +3.4% |
| Redditch | West Midlands | £976 | +11.1% |
| Rugby | West Midlands | £1,049 | +5.4% |
| Sandwell | West Midlands | £953 | +8.0% |
| Shropshire | West Midlands | £823 | +4.3% |
| Solihull | West Midlands | £1,279 | +3.2% |
| South Staffordshire | West Midlands | £958 | +5.8% |
| Stafford | West Midlands | £901 | +6.6% |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | West Midlands | £728 | +7.5% |
| Stoke-on-Trent | West Midlands | £715 | +5.4% |
| Stratford-on-Avon | West Midlands | £1,149 | +6.0% |
| Tamworth | West Midlands | £925 | +0.5% |
| Telford and Wrekin | West Midlands | £861 | +6.6% |
| Walsall | West Midlands | £924 | +9.7% |
| Warwick | West Midlands | £1,241 | +1.9% |
| Wolverhampton | West Midlands | £945 | +11.1% |
| Worcester | West Midlands | £977 | +5.3% |
| Wychavon | West Midlands | £954 | +3.9% |
| Wyre Forest | West Midlands | £825 | -2.4% |
| Barnsley | Yorkshire and The Humber | £696 | +7.8% |
| Bradford | Yorkshire and The Humber | £745 | +2.4% |
| Calderdale | Yorkshire and The Humber | £756 | +2.3% |
| Doncaster | Yorkshire and The Humber | £694 | +5.3% |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £724 | +4.6% |
| Kingston upon Hull, City of | Yorkshire and The Humber | £694 | +7.4% |
| Kirklees | Yorkshire and The Humber | £782 | +12.8% |
| Leeds | Yorkshire and The Humber | £1,145 | +4.2% |
| North East Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £643 | +6.6% |
| North Lincolnshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £653 | +6.0% |
| North Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | £849 | +2.4% |
| Rotherham | Yorkshire and The Humber | £686 | +3.2% |
| Sheffield | Yorkshire and The Humber | £931 | +4.3% |
| Wakefield | Yorkshire and The Humber | £806 | +5.9% |
| York | Yorkshire and The Humber | £1,199 | +6.5% |
Where these figures come from
Source: Office for National Statistics, Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, released 16 September 2026, Table 1, with the bulletin Private rent and house prices, UK: September 2026. These are official statistics.
Averages and annual changes are exactly as the ONS publishes them, to one decimal place, so some councils tie. The rankings are LetCompliance’s, made from the ONS figures on 6 October 2026. Figures are not seasonally adjusted. The ONS does not publish figures for the City of London or the Isles of Scilly, which is why England has 294 councils here. The index covers new and existing tenancies, and the ONS advises reading council figures as longer-term trends because they can be volatile month to month.
The next release is due on 21 October 2026, covering September 2026, and this page will be updated with it.
Sources and scope
- GOV.UK: Renting out a property
- GOV.UK: Your landlord’s safety responsibilities
- HSE: Gas safety in rented properties
Every figure on this page is cited to GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk or HSE and reviewed against the live source every quarter. This is guidance, not individual legal advice.
Allowable vs Capital Repair Decision Tree
The single line HMRC actually draws between an allowable repair and a capital improvement, with 24 worked examples for UK landlords.
- 24 real repair scenarios classified
- Repair-vs-capital decision tree (1-page A4)
- Replacement-of-domestic-items relief explained
- Self Assessment line mapping for SA105
Frequently asked questions
What is the average private rent in England?
£1,459 a month in August 2026, 4.0% more than a year earlier (Office for National Statistics, Price Index of Private Rents, released 16 September 2026). The next figures are due on 21 October 2026.
Where are private rents rising fastest?
By region, the North East and North West, both up 5.8% in the year to August 2026. By council, Tewkesbury (13.4%), Kirklees (12.8%) and Oldham (12.5%).
Where did private rents fall?
In 11 of England’s 294 councils in the year to August 2026, most of all in Wyre Forest (-2.4%), Waverley (-2.0%) and Woking (-1.6%), and also in Brighton and Hove, Kingston upon Thames and Westminster.
