Private Sector Rent Statistics, Scotland, 2010 to 2023

Note that some areas have a relatively low number of 1 bedroom shared property records recorded, and therefore some caution is needed when interpreting the findings given that the averages presented can be based on a small number of underlying records.

In the year to end September 2023, average 1 bedroom shared rents increased above the average 12 month UK CPI inflation rate of 9.0% in 11 out of 18 areas, ranging from an increase of 11.8% (or £49 per month) in South Lanarkshire to 27.1% (or £116 per month)  in Greater Glasgow. A further seven areas saw average 1 bedroom shared rents increase by less than CPI, ranging from 5.9% (or £24 per month) in the Ayrshires to 7.7% (or £30 per month) in Perth and Kinross.

Average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties at the Scotland level increased by an estimated 15.1% (or £64 per month) between 2022 and 2023, to reach £490 in 2023, which compares to an average increase in UK CPI of 9.0% across the year to September 2023.

Figures on longer term changes to rents for 1 bedroom shared properties over the period from 2010 to 2023 should be considered in the context of the cumulative increase in UK CPI of 45.7% from the year to end September 2010 to the year to end September 2023.

Over the 13 year period from 2010 to 2023, twelve areas have seen rent increases for 1 bedroom shared properties above the level of CPI inflation, ranging from an increase of 49.3% in South Lanarkshire up to 81.8% in Forth Valley.

These cumulative increases equate to a range of annualised growth rates between 3.1% in South Lanarkshire up to 4.7% in Forth Valley, when calculated on a compound annual increase basis between 2010 and 2023.

For the remaining six areas of Scotland, cumulative increases have been below CPI inflation, and have ranged from 17.2% in Aberdeen and Shire to 43.3% in Dumfries and Galloway.

These regional trends combine to show an estimated 60.5% cumulative increase for 1 bedroom shared properties between 2010 and 2023 (equating to an annualised growth rate of 3.7%), to reach £490 in 2023. See Table 5, Chart 10 and Chart 11 below.

Table 5: 1 Bedroom Shared Properties - Average (mean) monthly rents (£): Cumulative changes 2010 to 2023, by Broad Rental Market Area

Note: See the Supporting Documents Excel Workbook Table 7 for a more detailed breakdown of quartile and average rents for each year. Also note that the Scotland average figures have been calculated using a weighted stock approach, with further information on this available in the Data and Methodology Section.

Chart 10: Forth Valley, Fife, Greater Glasgow, West Lothian and Lothian have seen the largest cumulative percentage rises in average 1 bedroom shared rents between 2010 and 2023

1 bedroom shared properties: % change in average (mean) rents for years to end-Sept, by Broad Rental Market Area

Chart 11: In 2023, Greater Glasgow had the highest average monthly 1 bedroom shared rent (£544), with Scottish Borders having the lowest (£382)

1 bedroom shared properties: average (mean) monthly rents in 2023 (year to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area