According to property firm Hamptons, newly agreed rents increased by 2.7% compared with September last year, when the average stood at £1,396. The figures highlight differences between the costs faced by tenants entering new agreements and those already living in rented properties.
Rental Prices Rise for the Tenth Consecutive Month
The latest Hamptons lettings index shows that annual rental growth for newly agreed tenancies accelerated again in September, continuing a trend that has now lasted ten months. The average monthly rent for a newly let property across Britain reached £1,433, compared with £1,396 in September 2025. This represents the fastest annual growth in nearly two years.
The index uses rental transaction data from Connells Group and measures rents actually agreed between landlords and tenants, rather than prices advertised when properties are marketed.
According to The Independent, the figures also show a distinction between newly agreed rents and increases affecting existing tenants. Where landlords raised rents for tenants already occupying their homes, the average increase remained at 5.6%, unchanged from August.
Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, said the increases recorded so far this year had primarily affected people moving between rented properties. “So far this year, higher rents have mainly been felt by tenants moving home,” she said.
“But if growth continues to pick up, it is likely to feed through to more existing tenants in the coming months as the gap between new and existing rents widens.” Her comments distinguish between the current increases affecting new agreements and the potential implications for tenants remaining in their existing homes.
London Remains the Most Expensive Region As Southern Rents Accelerate
Regional figures from Hamptons reveal substantial differences in rental costs and annual growth rates across Britain.
London remained the most expensive rental market, with newly agreed monthly rents averaging £2,357 in August. Despite having the highest average cost, the capital recorded annual growth of 1.5%.
The South East and South West recorded their strongest annual rental growth since September 2024, with increases of 4.6% and 4.1%, respectively. Average monthly rents reached £1,544 in the South East and £1,353 in the South West.
Elsewhere, Yorkshire and the Humber recorded annual growth of 3.8%, with average monthly rents reaching £985. The North West registered a 3.6% increase to £1,090, while the West Midlands saw growth of 3.5% to £1,136.
In the North East, average monthly rents stood at £948, representing annual growth of 3.1%. Wales recorded an average of £888, up 2.5%, while Scotland reached £1,099 following a 1.9% increase. The East of England recorded average monthly rents of £1,294, an annual increase of 1.6%. The East Midlands experienced the smallest annual increase, at just 0.3%, with average monthly rents of £1,017.
