Mid market rent (MMR) analysis: December 2020 to February 2025

Part B - MMR tenants

Table 1 - 1,127 tenants participated. The largest number live in Edinburgh (415 or 37%), followed by Glasgow (314 or 28%) and Aberdeen City (88 or 8%). Areas with five or less tenants like Argyll and Bute and these are supressed (*) to avoid the potential disclosure.

Table 2 - The majority of tenants have two bedrooms (776 or 69%) followed by one bedroom (267 or 24%). Just two tenants report five bedrooms. Figures of five of less have been supressed (*) in order to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 3 - the average (mean) rent per month is £681. Unlike the mean value, the median value is not affected by a few high or low values - it is £703 per month. The most frequent monthly rent is £704. Rents range from £324 for the smaller properties to £1,375 for the larger properties.

Table 4 - The most frequent annual gross household income of tenant(s) before tax is £25,000 to £29,999. There are just 12 tenants with an income of less than £6,000 and just 11 with an income of £55,000 and over. Figures of five or less have been supressed (*) to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 5 - Just over half of all tenants living in an MMR property are a single person household (592 or 53%), followed by a two person household (363 or 32%). However, a few reported seven tenants residing in MMR properties (as this figure is five or less it has been supressed to avoid disclosure).

Tables 6(a) to 6(c) - To note, the MMR survey allows the details (age, gender and economic status) of up to eight tenants per property to be recorded. This analysis, however, only reports the details of the first tenant named on the survey. This is to avoid repetition but also there are small numbers for the larger households that would have to be supressed to avoid disclosure.

The majority of first named tenants were aged 25 to 34 years (276 or 46%) followed by 35 to 44 years (116 or 19%). There were very few within the age bands of 65 to 75+. There are more female tenants (324 or 54%) than male tenants (253 or 42%). Most tenants are employed full-time (510 or 85%), followed by employed part-time (30 or 5%).

Figures of five or less have been supressed (*) to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 7 -Tenants reported that an affordable rental charge was very import in their decision to rent an MMR property (946 or 85%). This was followed by the property being in an area they liked (687 or 64%). Thirty-four per cent or 359 tenants said that living near family or friends was not important.

Table 8 - When asked to provide their ethnic group, 669 or 59% reported ‘White Scottish’, followed by ‘Other White British’ (112 or 10%). Eighty-three or 7% reported ‘African, African Scottish or African British’. Zero was recorded for ‘Gypsy/ Travellers. Figures of five or less have been supressed (*) to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 9(a) – Just over one per cent of MMR tenants reported that they served in the UK Armed Forces either currently serving, previously served (regular armed forces) or previously served (reserve armed forces). Figures of five or less have been supressed (*) in order to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 9 (b) - Fourteen tenants or 82% of MMR tenants reported that they are a ‘Partner of Service Personnel’. The categories of ‘Widow of Service Personnel’ and ‘Widower of Service Personnel’ had figures of five or less and are supressed (*) in order to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 10 - Before moving into an MMR property most tenants (601 or 53%) said they previously lived in rented accommodation (including rents paid by housing benefit), followed by 178 or 16% who previously lived in the parental/ family home and contributed. Figures of five or less are supressed (*) to avoid potential disclosure.

Table 11 - Before moving into their MMR property 654 or 60% of tenants reported that they had a private landlord, followed by 121 or 11% who reported that a Housing Association was their landlord.

Table 12 - Most MMR tenants were not on a housing waiting list (625 or 55%) before they moved into their MMR property, followed by 188 or 17% who were on a council housing list.

Table 13 - In terms of previous monthly rent the average (mean) was £633. The median value which is not affected by high and low values (as with the mean) is £620 and the most frequent is £650. Previous rent prices ranged from zero (living with parents) to £2,300. It should be noted that a large number of respondents (280 of 1,127) did not answer this question correctly and could not be included in the analysis. This should be borne in mind when using this specific data.