Private sector rent statistics: 2010 - 2021

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 2021.


3. Main Findings for 1 Bedroom Properties

In the year to end September 2021, average 1 bedroom rents increased above the average 12 month UK CPI inflation rate of 1.5% in 9 out of 18 areas of Scotland, with the largest increases being in Ayrshires (7.5%), Forth Valley (6.6%) and the Scottish Borders (5.7%), with North Lanarkshire also seeing an increase of 0.7% in the latest year but below CPI.

Five areas saw little change (within +/-0.5%) in average rents compared with the previous year, including Aberdeen and Shire, Argyll and Bute, Greater Glasgow, Highland and Islands, and South Lanarkshire.

Average rents decreased by more than 0.5% in Renfrewshire / Inverclyde (-2.4%), East Dunbartonshire (-0.6%) and Lothian (-0.6%).

Average rents for 1 bedroom properties at the Scotland level increased by an estimated 0.6% between 2020 and 2021, to reach £546 in 2021, which compares to an average increase in UK CPI of 1.5% across the year to September 2021.

Figures on longer term changes to rents for 1 bedroom properties over the period from 2010 to 2021 should be considered in the context of the cumulative increase in UK CPI of 24.3% from the year to end September 2010 to the year to end September 2021.

Over the 11 year period from 2010 to 2021, two areas have seen rent increases above the level of CPI inflation. Lothian has seen the highest increase in private rents for 1 bedroom properties, with average rents rising by 45.2% (cumulative increase over 11 years) and average rents in the Greater Glasgow area rising by 38.1% between 2010 and 2021.

These cumulative increases equate to annualised growth rates of 3.4% for Lothian and 3.0% for Greater Glasgow, when calculated on a compound annual increase basis between 2010 and 2021.

For the remaining areas of Scotland, cumulative changes have been below CPI inflation. Aberdeen and Shire has seen a fall of 13.9% in average rents, which is likely to reflect decreased demand for rental properties in recent years following the downturn in the oil industry.

These regional trends combine to show an estimated 23.5% cumulative increase for 1 bedroom properties between 2010 and 2021 (equating to an annualised growth rate of 1.9%), to reach £546 in 2021. See Table 1 and Chart 2 below.

Table 1: 1 Bedroom Properties - Average (mean) monthly rents (£): Cumulative changes 2010 to 2021, by Broad Rental Market Area
2010 2020 2021 2010 to 2021 change 2020 to 2021 change
Lothian 520 760 755 45.2% -0.6%
Greater Glasgow 437 605 604 38.2% 0.0%
Scotland* 442 542 546 23.5% 0.6%
Fife 379 441 462 22.0% 4.7%
West Lothian 428 513 521 21.6% 1.6%
Forth Valley 387 439 468 20.9% 6.6%
East Dunbartonshire 450 538 534 18.9% -0.6%
Highland and Islands 415 493 494 19.0% 0.2%
Dundee and Angus 351 405 414 18.1% 2.3%
Perth and Kinross 377 428 439 16.2% 2.5%
Scottish Borders 336 366 387 15.2% 5.7%
Argyll and Bute 382 440 440 15.2% 0.1%
Dumfries and Galloway 359 395 406 13.0% 2.7%
Ayrshires 375 376 404 7.6% 7.5%
South Lanarkshire 382 412 411 7.5% -0.3%
North Lanarkshire 373 396 398 6.8% 0.7%
West Dunbartonshire 397 404 420 5.8% 3.8%
Renfrewshire / Inverclyde 374 401 392 4.7% -2.4%
Aberdeen and Shire 529 457 455 -13.9% -0.5%

See Reference Tables (Tables 7 to 18) 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.

Chart 2: Lothian and Greater Glasgow have seen the largest cumulative % rises in average 1 bedroom rents between 2010 and 2021, whilst Aberdeen and Shire average rents have dropped over the eleven years
Cumulative % Change in Average (mean) Rents from 2010 to 2021 (years to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area - 1-Bedroom Properties

*Note that the Scotland figures have been calculated using a weighted stock approach. See Section 8 for further details.

In the year to end September 2021, Lothian had the highest average monthly rents for 1 bedroom properties across Scotland (£755), with Greater Glasgow having rents of £604. Areas with the lowest average rents for 1 bedroom properties included North Lanarkshire (£398), Renfrewshire / Inverclyde (£392), and the Scottish Borders (£387). See Chart 3 below.

Chart 3: In 2021, Lothian had the highest average monthly 1 bedroom rent (£755), with Scottish Borders having the lowest (£387)
Average (mean) Monthly Rents 2021 (year to end-Sept), by Broad Rental Market Area -  1-Bedroom Properties

*Note that the Scotland figures have been calculated using a weighted stock approach. See Section 8 for further details.

Contact

Email: housingstatistics@gov.scot

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