Historical coverage. This summary was prepared after the original event. Rules, prices and conditions may have changed; consult the dated original source and current official guidance.

At a glance

  • The October bulletin estimated annual private-rent growth of 3.8% across new and existing UK tenancies.[1]

What was announced

Average monthly private rent in the UK reached £1,406 in September 2026, up 3.8% from a year earlier, according to provisional ONS estimates. The annual growth rate was unchanged from August.[1]

ONS reported averages of £1,466 in England, £848 in Wales and £1,011 in Scotland. England’s highest annual growth was in the North West at 5.7%; London and the South East were lowest at 3.5%. Northern Ireland’s £879 estimate related to July, reflecting a different data lag.[1]

Context & interpretation

Why it matters

The rent index includes existing as well as new tenancies. It is not a measure of advertised asking rents alone, and different countries’ reporting periods need to be checked.

Sources & further reading

  1. UK private rents averaged £1,406 in September, ONS reports ↗Office for National Statistics · 21 Oct 2026 · Accessed 1 Nov 2026

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