Rents across the country rose by 2.1% in October compared to a year ago, according to a new study.
Tenants are paying an average rent of £928 a month.
Rents in London are much higher – averaging £1,619 a month after going up 4% year-on-year, says the research from leading tenant referencing firm Homelet.
When rent figures for the capital are stripped out of the statistics, average UK rents fall to £768 a month and show a rise of 1.7% for the year.
The report highlights that rents in London are nearly 75% higher than the average for the rest of the country.
Within Greater London, the range of rent rises and falls varies widely.
In Camden and The City, rents are up 19.4% year-on-year, while tenants in Redbridge and Waltham Forest have seen them fall by 3.9%.
Outside London, rents were up in every region except the North East, where they slipped 2.5% in the year to October.
Average rents there were £528 a year ago, but have fallen to £515.
Rents have increased the most in Northern Ireland (4.5%) and Scotland (4.2%). The biggest increase in England was in London (4%), followed by the South East (3.4%).
On average, rents eat 30.6% of household income.
UK rents – October 2018
| Region | Ave rent Oct 2018 | Ave rent Oct 2017 | Annual change |
| Northern Ireland | £653 | £625 | 4.5% |
| Scotland | £647 | £621 | 4.2% |
| Greater London | £1,619 | £1,556 | 4.0% |
| South East | £1,010 | £977 | 3.4% |
| South West | £811 | £790 | 2.7% |
| East Midlands | £628 | £618 | 1.6% |
| West Midlands | £693 | £683 | 1.5% |
| East of England | £908 | £901 | 0.8% |
| North West | £697 | £692 | 0.7% |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | £631 | £628 | 0.5% |
| Wales | £614 | £612 | 0.3% |
| North East | £515 | £528 | -2.5% |
| UK | £928 | £909 | 2.1% |
Source: Homelet
