Cost of renting in UK up by 8.5% over last 12 months - check your area

An aerial panorama view of rows of red brick back to back terraced housing in a run down Northern city in England
-Credit: (Image: Getty)


Renting prices in the UK have increased by 8.5% in the past year. Use our interactive map below to see how much rates have changed in your local area.

According to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), individuals renting homes in England spent an average of £1,327 per month up until August. In Scotland, the average monthly rent is £969, while in Wales, it stands at £752.

This indicates that rents have increased by an average of 8.5% in England and Wales over the past year, while in Scotland, the rise has been 7.6%. Notably, London has experienced the steepest rent increases, with a jump of 9.6% during the same period.

Rents are also up by 9.2% in the north west, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. In the south east they’re up 7.7% year-on-year, in the east of England by 7.6%, in Yorkshire and the Humber by 7.0%, and in the North East by 6.7%.

See how much rents have gone up in your local area below:

The London borough of Brent has seen the highest rise in rent prices across the UK. Over the past year, prices have surged by 33.6%. Currently, the average rent in Brent stands at £2,121 per month.

Melton in the East Midlands has seen rents increase by more than a fifth (21.1%) to £786 a month. Hinckley and Bosworth, also in the East Midlands, has seen prices rise by 15.1% to £854 a month, while Runnymede in the South East has seen them rise by 15.1% to £1,590 a month.

In Greenwich, London, rents are up 15.0% to £1,818, in Harborough, East Midlands, they’re up by 14.9% to £907 a month, and in Oldham they’re up by 14.7% to £797 a month. Kensington and Chelsea is the most expensive place to rent in the country, with the average home there going for £3,418 a month.

In Westminster the average rent is £3,099 a month, in Hammersmith and Fulham it’s £2,585 a month, in Islington it’s £2,557 a month, and in Camden it’s £2,482 a month.

If you’re eligible for Universal Credit, you can get an extra amount of money to pay towards your housing costs. You can apply for help with financial difficulties from your main Universal Credit payment.

You might also be able to:

You might be able to get extra help from your local council with your rent and other housing costs, for example a rent deposit or moving costs. This is called a ‘Discretionary Housing Payment’.