Private sector rent statistics: 2010 - 2020

7. Main Findings for 1 Bedroom Shared Properties

Note that some areas have a relatively low number of 1 bedroom shared property records recorded, and therefore some caution is needed when interpreting the findings given that the averages presented can be based on a small number of underlying records.

In the year to end September 2020, average 1 bedroom shared rents increased above CPI inflation of 0.5% in 13 out of 18 areas, with the largest increases being in Fife (10.7%) and Perth and Kinross (11.1%).

Two areas saw little change (within +/-0.5%) in average rents compared with the previous year, including Aberdeen and Shire, and Lothian.

Average rents decreased by more than 0.5% in the Ayrshires (-3.1%), Dundee and Angus (-3.7%) and Argyll and Bute (-10.2%).

Average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties at the Scotland level have increased by an estimated 2.5% between 2019 and 2020, to reach £400 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 1 bedroom shared 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, nine areas have seen rent increases above the level of CPI inflation, ranging from an increase of 22.1% in West Lothian up to 43.9% in Lothian.

For the remaining nine areas of Scotland, cumulative increases have been below CPI inflation, and have ranged from 6.4% in Argyll and Bute to 20.3% in Renfrewshire / Inverclyde.

These regional trends combine to show an estimated 31.0% cumulative increase for 1 bedroom shared properties between 2010 and 2020, to reach £400 in 2020. See Table 5 and Chart 10 below.

For the year to end-September 2020, Lothian had the highest average monthly rents for 1 bedroom shared properties across Scotland (£460). Areas with the lowest average rents for 1 bedroom shared properties included North Lanarkshire (£320) and Dumfries and Galloway (£307). See Chart 11 below.