Rents dip 0.9% in October

The average UK rent dipped 0.9% in October according to the most recent HomeLet Rental Index, but this is still above 2025’s levels.

In October the average UK rent was £1,375 and this reduced to £1,164 when excluding London.

This may be lower than in September 2026, but average UK rents are 2.2% higher than they were in October 2025.

The annual change was highest in Scotland where rents were 4.8% higher, while Wales recorded the smallest increase at 1.1%.

Within England, the South West had the highest year-on-year increase at 4.5%.

This was closely followed by Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West at 3.7% and 3.5%, respectively.

London, which recorded an average rent of £2,260, recorded a year-on-year increase of 1.9%.

In terms of affordability, tenants are spending an average of 32.7% of their monthly income on rent.

Though high this is 0.7% lower than 2025 and better than the 33.5% peak recorded in May 2024.