How fast are rents rising?
Private rents were 3.8% higher than a year earlier in August 2026. The ONS rent index stands at 141.5 (2015 = 100), against 101.4 ten years before, in January 2016.
On a year earlier, August 2026. Highest: 8.8% (December 2024).
2015 = 100, August 2026.
Rents over time
What’s this?
How much higher the rent paid for privately rented homes is than a year earlier.
What it cannot tell you: It is an average across the country; what you pay depends on where you live, what you buy and when.
What’s this?
The level of the rent paid for privately rented homes, with 2015 set to 100.
What it cannot tell you: It is an average across the country; what you pay depends on where you live, what you buy and when.
Month by month
| Period | Private rents, yearly change | Private rents, index (2015 = 100) |
|---|---|---|
| August 2026 | 3.8% | 141.5 |
| July 2026 | 3.7% | 140.8 |
| June 2026 | 3.3% | 140.3 |
| May 2026 | 3.3% | 139.9 |
| April 2026 | 3.5% | 139.7 |
| March 2026 | 3.4% | 139.3 |
| February 2026 | 3.6% | 138.9 |
| January 2026 | 3.5% | 138.3 |
| December 2025 | 3.9% | 138.3 |
| November 2025 | 4.4% | 138.1 |
| October 2025 | 4.9% | 137.5 |
| September 2025 | 5.4% | 136.9 |
Questions people ask
How much have rents gone up?
The ONS index for private rents was 141.5 in August 2026 (2015 = 100), up 30% on January 2021.
Is this what I pay?
No. It is an average of rents across the country for homes that are rented privately, measured for the Consumer Prices Index. Rents in your area and for new tenancies can differ.
What does “private rents, yearly change” measure?
How much higher the rent paid for privately rented homes is than a year earlier. It was 3.8% (% a year) in August 2026, up 2.6 points on January 2021. The highest we have is 8.8% (December 2024) and the lowest −1.9% (December 2009).
What does “private rents, index (2015 = 100)” measure?
The level of the rent paid for privately rented homes, with 2015 set to 100. It was 141.5 (index, 2015 = 100) in August 2026, up 30% on January 2021. The highest we have is 141.5 (August 2026) and the lowest 79.5 (February 1998).
Sources: ONS Consumer Prices Index. Updated every night. Each chart has a CSV and a Share button.
See also: House prices · Inflation · Prices and pay