Conflicting data from a flurry of rent surveys sparks the question of who landlords should believe.

The surveys are just three of an increasing number published each month by mortgage lenders, letting agents and trade bodies vying for space in a crowded media.

The results are always different because each report is based on an incomparable sample of data typically drawn from the  organisations own customers.

According to Hamptons, part of the Countrywide group of letting and estate agents, average UK rents are just £2 short of tipping the £1,000 a month ceiling.

Homelet, a tenant referencing and insurance firm, disagrees and  puts the average UK rent at £967.

Both compare rents for new tenancies in September 2018 with those in September this year.

The Deposit Protection Service (DPS) publishes a rolling quarterly comparison showing the average UK rent as £778 a month.

Which one is right?

The answer is none of them as average rents across a region are not a comparison for landlords or tenants. Rents depend on home type, location, facilities and a host of other property and location variables.

How surveys report UK rent changes

DPS* Hamptons Homelet
  Average rent Quarterly Change Average rent YoY Change Average rent YoY Change
Scotland £619 -1.02% £667 1.80% £676 2.00%
North East £526 0.65% £657 1.00% £535 3.10%
North West £596 0.18% £739 4.40%
Yorkshire & Humber £552 3.60% £657 2.00%
Northern Ireland £533 2.18% £673 1.40%
East Midlands £578 -2.17% £693 0.40% £653 3.80%
West Midlands £620 -0.19% £718 2.40%
East of England £821 1.53% £984 2.10% £927 1.30%
Wales £578 -143% £673 -1.40% £634 2.10%
London £1,333 1.03% £1,745 1.80% £1,694 3.30%
South West £743 1.58% £851 4.50% £846 3.40%
South East £880 0.23% £1,096 3.80% £1,045 0.20%
UK £778 0.91% £998 1.80% £967 2.50%
  • DPS data is Q3 2019 compared with Q2 2019
    Homelet and Hamptons data compare September 2018 to September 2019