Setting the right rental amount: Why national averages only tell half the story 📖
#CAVENDISHEXPERTS in Lettings, Sales and Property Management in Nottingham | Cavendish Residential | One Fletcher Gate NG1 1QS | 0115 941 0656 | www.cavendishproperty.co.uk
ONS Private Rental Market – September 2026: Key Insights for Landlords and Tenants 🔍
🔸 The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) provide another useful snapshot of what's happening across the UK's private rental market.
🔸 The average UK private rent reached £1,400 per month in August 2026, with rental values continuing to vary considerably depending on location, region, property type and size.
🔸 As always, the national headline is useful context, but it doesn't tell the whole story.
📈 What are rents doing?
🔹 The average UK private rent reached £1,400 per month in August 2026.
🔹 £52 per month higher than a year earlier.
🔹 An annual increase of 3.8%.
🔹 Slightly higher than the 3.7% annual growth recorded in July.
🔹 In England specifically, the average monthly private rent reached £1,459, an increase of £56 or 4.0% compared with a year earlier.
🔹 The latest figures therefore show rental values nationally remaining above their levels of 12 months ago, although the picture varies significantly depending on where you look.
📍 Location continues to matter
🔸 There isn't one single UK rental market.
🔸 In England, the North East and North West recorded the highest annual rental inflation during August, both at 5.8%.
🔸 South East: 3.0%
🔸 London: 3.5%
🔸 North East & North West: 5.8%
🔸 The differences in actual monthly rents are even more striking.
🔸 Average rent in London stood at £2,332 per month, compared with £788 in the North East.
🔸 At a more local level, the highest average monthly rent recorded by the ONS was £3,690 in Kensington and Chelsea.
🔸 At the other end of the scale, Dumfries and Galloway recorded an average of £558 per month.
🔸 Excluding London, Oxford recorded the highest average monthly rent at £1,963.
🔸 Once again, national averages need to be treated as context rather than a valuation of an individual property.
🏠 Property TYPE makes a difference too
🔹 The ONS data also demonstrates how significantly rental values differ according to the type and size of property.
🔹 Detached properties averaged £1,589 per month.
🔹 Flats and maisonettes averaged £1,367 per month.
🔹 Properties with four or more bedrooms averaged £2,080 per month.
🔹 One-bedroom properties averaged £1,136 per month.
🔹 These figures illustrate why comparing one property with another isn't always straightforward.
🔹 Location matters, size matters, property type matters.
🔹 And when an individual property comes to market, its condition, specification and competing properties will matter too.
🔍 What exactly do these ONS figures measure?
🔸 This is an important distinction for landlords.
🔸 The ONS Price Index of Private Rents measures rental inflation across the privately rented housing stock and includes both new and existing tenancies.
🔸 So, an average UK rent of £1,400 doesn't mean that the average property being advertised today is available for £1,400.
🔸 Nor does annual rental growth of 3.8% mean that every individual property's rental value has automatically increased by 3.8%.
🔸 The figures are an extremely useful measure of the wider rental market, but individual properties still need to be assessed on their own merits.
🔑 What does this mean for landlords?
🔹 The latest ONS figures show a rental market in which values vary considerably depending on geography and the type of property being rented.
🔹 For landlords, that makes local market evidence particularly important.
🔹 Look at genuinely comparable properties.
🔹 Consider what else tenants can currently choose from.
🔹 Assess the condition and presentation of your property.
🔹 Consider its size, specification and location.
🔹 Set an asking rent that reflects the market you're actually entering.
🔹 Monitor enquiries and viewing activity once marketing begins.
🌸 The Cavendish perspective
🔸 The September ONS figures don't dramatically change the story from last month.
🔸 Average private rents remain higher than they were a year ago, with the UK average now at £1,400 per month and the England average at £1,459.
🔸 But perhaps the more useful lesson is just how different rental markets can be.
🔸 Regional growth rates vary. Average rents vary enormously by location. And property size and type make a substantial difference.
🔸 For Nottingham landlords, that's why we believe rental valuations should always begin with the individual property and the market immediately surrounding it, rather than simply applying a national percentage increase.
🔸 Ultimately, the right rent is the one that reflects the property, its competition and what tenants are prepared to pay at that particular time.
🔸 Understanding that market is where good local advice matters. 🤝
Thinking of letting your Nottingham property? Cavendish Residential can help you:
💠 Understand exactly what your property could achieve in today's market.
💠 Compare your home against similar properties currently available.
💠 Develop a pricing strategy designed to attract high-quality Tenants.
💠 Minimise void periods through professional marketing and proactive property management.
Wouldn't it be good to know the rental value of your home in today's market? Contact Lisa (lisa.dahl@cavendishproperty.co.uk) for an up-to-date valuation (or complete the form opposite ➡️).
📸 Lisa Dahl-Parsisson, Head Valuer and Asset Manager at Cavendish Residential 📸
☎📧🗨
🌟 Instant online valuation (immediate response, 60-70% accurate)... Click here 🌟
🌟 Remote consultant valuation (24-hour response, 80-90% accurate)... Click here 🌟
🌟 Face-to-face visit (time to suit you, 100% accurate)... Email expert valuer lisa.dahl-parsisson@cavendishproperty.co.uk to get started 🌟
For our Daily Property News | Like, Comment and Share | Click here
For properties for sale in Nottingham from Cavendish Residential click here
For properties for rent in Nottingham from Cavendish Residential click here
Latest from the BEST ESTATE AGENT in Nottingham 🏆
Latest from the BEST LETTING AGENT in Nottingham 🏆