Private sector rent statistics: 2010 - 2016

Main Findings for 1 Bedroom in a Shared Property

From 2015 to 2016, 13 out of 18 areas have seen increases in rent for 1 bedroom shared properties. The increases ranged from 14.8% in Fife, 14.1% in Forth Valley, and 10.1% in the Ayrshires, to 1.4% in the Highlands and Islands. There were 5 areas that saw decreases ranging from -0.5% in the Scottish Borders to -6.8% in Aberdeen and Shire. See Chart 10 and Table 9 below.

These regional trends combine to show an increase of 4.0% in average rents between 2015 and 2016 for 1 bedroom in a shared property, at the Scotland level.

Over the 6 year period from 2010 to 2016, Fife is the area of the country that has seen the highest increase in private rents for 1 bedroom shared properties, with average rents rising by 36.0% (cumulative increase over 6 years).

A further 5 areas have seen increases that were higher than the Scotland average over the 6 years. These were Forth Valley (27.3%), Aberdeen and Shire (23.0%), Greater Glasgow (18.9%), Lothian (15.0%) and West Lothian (14.2%).

Other areas that saw increases to a lesser extent ranged from 12.5% in Dundee and Angus to 2.0% in South Lanarkshire. Argyll and Bute was the only area to see an decrease in average rents between 2010 and 2016 (-4.4%)

These regional trends combine to show an 13.2% cumulative increase from 2010 to 2016 for 1 bedroom shared properties at the Scotland level.

Figures on changes to rents for 1 bedroom shared properties over the period from 2010 to 2016 should be considered in the context of the cumulative increase in the UK Consumer Price Index of 12.6% from Sept-10 to Sept-16. For example over the 6 year period, average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties in 6 out of 18 areas of Scotland (Fife, Forth Valley, Aberdeen and Shire, Greater Glasgow, Lothian, and West Lothian) have risen faster than the consumer price index, whilst changes in average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties in other areas of the country have been below the rise in the consumer price index.

CHART 10: Cumulative % Change in Average (mean) Rents from 2010 to 2016 (years to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area - 1 bedroom shared properties

TABLE 9: 1 Bedroom Shared Properties - Average (mean) Monthly Rents (£): Cumulative Changes 2010 to 2016, by Broad Rental Market Area

See Reference Tables (Tables 12 to 18) for a more detailed breakdown of quartile and average rents for each year.

For the year to end-September 2016, Aberdeen and Shire had the highest average monthly rents for 1 bedroom shared properties across Scotland (£404). Other areas with higher rents included Greater Glasgow (£372), Fife (£368), Lothian (£368), and Forth Valley (£351). Areas with the lowest average rents included Dundee and Angus (£296), Perth and Kinross (£288), Dumfries and Galloway (£285), and Scottish Borders (£270). See Chart 11 and Table 10 below.

CHART 11: Average (mean) Monthly Rents 2016 (year to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area - 1-Bedroom Shared Properties

TABLE 10: Average (mean) monthly rents for 1 Bedroom Shared Properties in 2016 (year to end-Sept)

Note: Figures for rooms in shared properties represent "rent only", i.e. exclude any payments for shared services