Private sector rent statistics: 2010 - 2020
This publication presents statistics on average private sector rent levels in Scotland by Broad Rental Market Area and size of property, for the years 2010 to 2020.
4. Main Findings for 2 Bedroom Properties
In the year to end September 2020, average 2 bedroom rents increased above CPI inflation of 0.5% in 11 out of 18 areas, with the largest increase being 4.0% in East Dunbartonshire.
Five areas showed little change (within +/-0.5%) on the previous year, including Aberdeen and Shire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee and Angus, Lothian, and Renfrewshire / Inverclyde.
Average rents decreased by more than 0.5% in the Ayrshires (-0.6%) and West Dunbartonshire (-1.3%).
Average rents for 2 bedroom properties have increased by an estimated 1.1% between 2019 and 2020, at the Scotland level, to reach £689 in 2020. This compares to an increase in the UK Consumer Price Index of 0.5% in the year to Sept-20.
Figures on longer term changes to rents for 2 bedroom properties over the period from 2010 to 2020 should be considered in the context of the cumulative increase in the UK Consumer Price Index of 21.5% from Sept-10 to Sept-20.
Over the 10 year period from 2010 to 2020, four areas (Lothian, Greater Glasgow, Fife and Forth Valley) have seen rent increases above the level of CPI inflation.
Lothian has seen the highest increase in private rents for 2 bedroom properties, with average rents rising by 45.9% (cumulative increase over 10 years), although average rents have remained at similar levels in 2020 compared with 2019 (a slight drop of 0.3%).
For the remaining areas of Scotland, cumulative increases have been below CPI inflation and have ranged from 0.9% in Ayrshires to 21.2% in East Dunbartonshire.
These regional trends combine to show an estimated 24.4% cumulative increase for 2 bedroom properties between 2010 and 2020 to reach £689 in 2020. See Table 2 and Chart 4 below.
| 2010 | 2019 | 2020 | 2010 to 2020 change | 2019 to 2020 change | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lothian | 665 | 972 | 969 | 45.9% | -0.3% |
| Greater Glasgow | 564 | 780 | 794 | 40.9% | 1.9% |
| Fife | 464 | 567 | 586 | 26.3% | 3.4% |
| Forth Valley | 492 | 596 | 614 | 24.6% | 3.0% |
| Scotland* | 554 | 681 | 689 | 24.4% | 1.1% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 581 | 677 | 704 | 21.2% | 4.0% |
| West Lothian | 527 | 630 | 636 | 20.7% | 1.1% |
| Highland and Islands | 503 | 601 | 607 | 20.7% | 1.1% |
| Dundee and Angus | 497 | 582 | 581 | 16.7% | -0.2% |
| Argyll and Bute | 503 | 557 | 577 | 14.7% | 3.6% |
| Scottish Borders | 442 | 490 | 502 | 13.6% | 2.3% |
| Perth and Kinross | 506 | 564 | 573 | 13.2% | 1.7% |
| South Lanarkshire | 481 | 533 | 540 | 12.3% | 1.2% |
| North Lanarkshire | 455 | 488 | 503 | 10.6% | 3.1% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 435 | 476 | 476 | 9.4% | 0.1% |
| Renfrewshire / Inverclyde | 473 | 513 | 512 | 8.3% | -0.03% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 492 | 509 | 502 | 2.0% | -1.3% |
| Aberdeen and Shire | 643 | 652 | 649 | 1.0% | -0.4% |
| Ayrshires | 464 | 471 | 469 | 0.9% | -0.6% |
See Reference Tables (Tables 7 to 17) for a more detailed breakdown of quartile and average rents for each year.
* Note that the Scotland figures have been calculated using a weighted stock approach.
See Section 8 for further details.
For the year to end-September 2020, Lothian had the highest average monthly rents for 2 bedroom properties across Scotland (£969), with Greater Glasgow having rents of £794. Areas with the lowest average rents for 2 bedroom properties included Dumfries and Galloway (£476) and Ayrshires (£469). See Chart 5 below.
Contact
Email: housingstatistics@gov.scot
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