Private sector rent statistics: 2010 - 2016

Main Findings for 1 Bedroom Properties

Over the past year, 16 out of 18 areas have seen increases in rent for 1 bedroom properties. West Lothian has seen the highest increase (5.5%) while Lothian has seen an increase of 5.3% between 2015 and 2016. Other areas that have seen increases range from 5.2% in Renfrewshire / Inverclyde to 0.5% in Dundee and Angus. Four areas saw a decrease, ranging from -0.5% in Scottish Borders to -15.2% in Aberdeen and Shire. See Chart 2 and Table 1 below.

Average rents for 1 bedroom properties have increased by 0.4% between 2015 and 2016, at the Scotland level.

Over the 6 year period from 2010 to 2016, Lothian has seen the highest increase in private rents for 1 bedroom properties, with average rents rising by 25.5% (cumulative increase over 6 years). Average rents in the Greater Glasgow area have risen by 19.0% between 2010 and 2016, whilst average rents in Highlands and Islands have increased by 11.0%.

For the remaining areas of Scotland, cumulative increases have ranged from 9.7% (West Lothian) to 0.5% (Scottish Borders). The two areas where average rents fell between 2010 and 2016 were South Lanarkshire (-0.4%) and the Ayrshires (-2.4%).

These regional trends combine to show a 10.5% cumulative increase for 1 bedroom properties from £436 in 2010 to £482 in 2016.

Figures on changes to rents for 1 bedroom 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 properties in the Lothian and Greater Glasgow areas have risen faster than the consumer price index, whilst changes in average rents for 1 bedroom properties in other areas of the country have been below the rise in the consumer price index.

CHART 2: Cumulative % Change in Average (mean) Rents from 2010 to 2016 (years to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area - 1-Bedroom Properties

TABLE 1: 1 Bedroom 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, Lothian had the highest average monthly rents for 1 bedroom properties across Scotland (£653). Other areas with higher rents included Aberdeen and Shire (£556) and Greater Glasgow (£520). Areas with the lowest average rents for 1 bedroom properties included Ayrshires (£366) and Scottish Borders (£338). See Chart 3 and Table 2 below.

CHART 3: Average (mean) Monthly Rents 2016 (year to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area - 1-Bedroom Properties

TABLE 2: Average (mean) monthly rents for 1 Bedroom Properties in 2016 (year to end-Sept)