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UK rent inflation 4.2% in September 2026, above 10-year average

UK rents were 4.2% higher in September 2026 than a year earlier, the same 12-month rate as in August and up from 3.1% in March. Vernumo's own calculation from the official series puts the ten-year average at 3%, so rents are rising faster than usual, though well short of the 7.8% peak in January 2025.

Published 2 min read

UK · Rent inflationUK: Oct 2015 3%, Nov 2015 3%, Dec 2015 3%, Jan 2016 2.9%, Feb 2016 2.9%, Mar 2016 2.9%, Apr 2016 1.9%, May 2016 1.8%, Jun 2016 1.8%, Jul 2016 1.3%, Aug 2016 1.3%, Sept 2016 1.2%, Oct 2016 1%, Nov 2016 1%, Dec 2016 1%, Jan 2017 1.2%, Feb 2017 1.2%, Mar 2017 1.2%, Apr 2017 1.2%, May 2017 1.1%, Jun 2017 1%, Jul 2017 1%, Aug 2017 0.9%, Sept 2017 0.8%, Oct 2017 0.7%, Nov 2017 0.6%, Dec 2017 0.6%, Jan 2018 0.3%, Feb 2018 0.3%, Mar 2018 0.3%, Apr 2018 0.4%, May 2018 0.4%, Jun 2018 0.4%, Jul 2018 0.5%, Aug 2018 0.5%, Sept 2018 0.5%, Oct 2018 0.6%, Nov 2018 0.6%, Dec 2018 0.7%, Jan 2019 0.6%, Feb 2019 0.7%, Mar 2019 0.7%, Apr 2019 0.8%, May 2019 0.8%, Jun 2019 0.9%, Jul 2019 0.7%, Aug 2019 0.7%, Sept 2019 0.7%, Oct 2019 0.7%, Nov 2019 0.8%, Dec 2019 0.7%, Jan 2020 0.8%, Feb 2020 0.7%, Mar 2020 0.8%, Apr 2020 1.3%, May 2020 1.3%, Jun 2020 1.3%, Jul 2020 1.7%, Aug 2020 1.8%, Sept 2020 1.8%, Oct 2020 1.8%, Nov 2020 1.7%, Dec 2020 1.7%, Jan 2021 1.8%, Feb 2021 1.8%, Mar 2021 1.8%, Apr 2021 1.5%, May 2021 1.5%, Jun 2021 1.6%, Jul 2021 1.4%, Aug 2021 1.4%, Sept 2021 1.5%, Oct 2021 1.8%, Nov 2021 1.9%, Dec 2021 2%, Jan 2022 2.3%, Feb 2022 2.3%, Mar 2022 2.4%, Apr 2022 2.9%, May 2022 3%, Jun 2022 3.2%, Jul 2022 3.8%, Aug 2022 4%, Sept 2022 4.2%, Oct 2022 4.3%, Nov 2022 4.5%, Dec 2022 4.6%, Jan 2023 4.6%, Feb 2023 4.7%, Mar 2023 4.8%, Apr 2023 5.5%, May 2023 5.6%, Jun 2023 5.5%, Jul 2023 6.5%, Aug 2023 6.4%, Sept 2023 6.4%, Oct 2023 6.3%, Nov 2023 6.4%, Dec 2023 6.3%, Jan 2024 6.5%, Feb 2024 6.9%, Mar 2024 7.2%, Apr 2024 6.9%, May 2024 7%, Jun 2024 7.2%, Jul 2024 7.1%, Aug 2024 7.2%, Sept 2024 7.2%, Oct 2024 7.4%, Nov 2024 7.6%, Dec 2024 7.6%, Jan 2025 7.8%, Feb 2025 7.4%, Mar 2025 7.2%, Apr 2025 6.3%, May 2025 6.1%, Jun 2025 5.8%, Jul 2025 4.5%, Aug 2025 4.4%, Sept 2025 4.3%, Oct 2025 4.1%, Nov 2025 3.8%, Dec 2025 3.6%, Jan 2026 3.1%, Feb 2026 3.2%, Mar 2026 3.1%, Apr 2026 3.5%, May 2026 3.4%, Jun 2026 3.4%, Jul 2026 4.1%, Aug 2026 4.2%, Sept 2026 4.2% UK · Rent inflation % · Oct 2015–Sept 2026 0%3.9%7.8%UK Oct 2015: 3%UK Nov 2015: 3%UK Dec 2015: 3%UK Jan 2016: 2.9%UK Feb 2016: 2.9%UK Mar 2016: 2.9%UK Apr 2016: 1.9%UK May 2016: 1.8%UK Jun 2016: 1.8%UK Jul 2016: 1.3%UK Aug 2016: 1.3%UK Sept 2016: 1.2%UK Oct 2016: 1%UK Nov 2016: 1%UK Dec 2016: 1%UK Jan 2017: 1.2%UK Feb 2017: 1.2%UK Mar 2017: 1.2%UK Apr 2017: 1.2%UK May 2017: 1.1%UK Jun 2017: 1%UK Jul 2017: 1%UK Aug 2017: 0.9%UK Sept 2017: 0.8%UK Oct 2017: 0.7%UK Nov 2017: 0.6%UK Dec 2017: 0.6%UK Jan 2018: 0.3%UK Feb 2018: 0.3%UK Mar 2018: 0.3%UK Apr 2018: 0.4%UK May 2018: 0.4%UK Jun 2018: 0.4%UK Jul 2018: 0.5%UK Aug 2018: 0.5%UK Sept 2018: 0.5%UK Oct 2018: 0.6%UK Nov 2018: 0.6%UK Dec 2018: 0.7%UK Jan 2019: 0.6%UK Feb 2019: 0.7%UK Mar 2019: 0.7%UK Apr 2019: 0.8%UK May 2019: 0.8%UK Jun 2019: 0.9%UK Jul 2019: 0.7%UK Aug 2019: 0.7%UK Sept 2019: 0.7%UK Oct 2019: 0.7%UK Nov 2019: 0.8%UK Dec 2019: 0.7%UK Jan 2020: 0.8%UK Feb 2020: 0.7%UK Mar 2020: 0.8%UK Apr 2020: 1.3%UK May 2020: 1.3%UK Jun 2020: 1.3%UK Jul 2020: 1.7%UK Aug 2020: 1.8%UK Sept 2020: 1.8%UK Oct 2020: 1.8%UK Nov 2020: 1.7%UK Dec 2020: 1.7%UK Jan 2021: 1.8%UK Feb 2021: 1.8%UK Mar 2021: 1.8%UK Apr 2021: 1.5%UK May 2021: 1.5%UK Jun 2021: 1.6%UK Jul 2021: 1.4%UK Aug 2021: 1.4%UK Sept 2021: 1.5%UK Oct 2021: 1.8%UK Nov 2021: 1.9%UK Dec 2021: 2%UK Jan 2022: 2.3%UK Feb 2022: 2.3%UK Mar 2022: 2.4%UK Apr 2022: 2.9%UK May 2022: 3%UK Jun 2022: 3.2%UK Jul 2022: 3.8%UK Aug 2022: 4%UK Sept 2022: 4.2%UK Oct 2022: 4.3%UK Nov 2022: 4.5%UK Dec 2022: 4.6%UK Jan 2023: 4.6%UK Feb 2023: 4.7%UK Mar 2023: 4.8%UK Apr 2023: 5.5%UK May 2023: 5.6%UK Jun 2023: 5.5%UK Jul 2023: 6.5%UK Aug 2023: 6.4%UK Sept 2023: 6.4%UK Oct 2023: 6.3%UK Nov 2023: 6.4%UK Dec 2023: 6.3%UK Jan 2024: 6.5%UK Feb 2024: 6.9%UK Mar 2024: 7.2%UK Apr 2024: 6.9%UK May 2024: 7%UK Jun 2024: 7.2%UK Jul 2024: 7.1%UK Aug 2024: 7.2%UK Sept 2024: 7.2%UK Oct 2024: 7.4%UK Nov 2024: 7.6%UK Dec 2024: 7.6%UK Jan 2025: 7.8%UK Feb 2025: 7.4%UK Mar 2025: 7.2%UK Apr 2025: 6.3%UK May 2025: 6.1%UK Jun 2025: 5.8%UK Jul 2025: 4.5%UK Aug 2025: 4.4%UK Sept 2025: 4.3%UK Oct 2025: 4.1%UK Nov 2025: 3.8%UK Dec 2025: 3.6%UK Jan 2026: 3.1%UK Feb 2026: 3.2%UK Mar 2026: 3.1%UK Apr 2026: 3.5%UK May 2026: 3.4%UK Jun 2026: 3.4%UK Jul 2026: 4.1%UK Aug 2026: 4.2%UK Sept 2026: 4.2%4.2%Oct 2015Apr 2021Sept 2026 Office for National Statistics (UK) https://vernumo.com/en-gb/a/uk-rent-inflation-4-2-in-september-2026-above-10-year-average-2kval
Office for National Statistics (UK)

The long view

highest in 10 yrs
7.8% January 2025
lowest in 10 yrs
0.3% January 2018
10-yr average
3%
Readings below the latest figure
68%

Vernumo calculation

UK Rent inflation →

How fast are UK rents rising right now?

Rents in the consumer price index were 4.2% higher in September 2026 than in September 2025. This is a 12-month change, so it compares the same month a year apart rather than September with August. The rate was unchanged from August. F7+1

The pickup came in a single step. The rate was 3.1% in March, 3.5% in April and 3.4% in both May and June, then reached 4.1% in July. Two readings at the higher level suggest the summer move has held so far rather than fading. F2+4

Is that faster than rents usually rise?

Yes. On Vernumo's own calculation from the official series, rents have risen at an average 12-month rate of 3% over the past ten years, and the September rate is more than a full point above that. Through the spring the rate stayed close to that average, which is why the July jump stands out. L3+3

The latest rate is still a long way from the top of the range. The highest 12-month rate in the past ten years was 7.8%, in January 2025, on the same calculation. A year before the latest reading, in September 2025, the rate was 4.3%, a touch above where it stands now. L1+2

What does this mean for people renting in the UK?

For tenants, the figure means the rents measured in the price index were, on average, 4.2% higher in September 2026 than a year before. Because the index covers existing tenancies as well as new lets, it describes the general pace of rent increases rather than what any one renter is asked to pay at renewal. F8

The data shows how far rents have moved, not how affordable they are. It does not say what share of income goes on rent or how many people are moving home, so it cannot answer whether renting has become harder to manage. F8

Why can't these figures show the month-to-month path?

The facts here cover February to September 2026 and a single reading for September 2025, so they cannot show how the rate moved between those dates. Because these are 12-month rates, the July jump also depends on what rents did a year earlier, and it does not by itself show a sharp rise in rents from June to July. F1+3

AI analyst view

Little change expected low confidence next 3 months

Estimate range: 3.9–4.5%

Why

  • Momentum has stalled at a higher level: the rate went from 4.1% in July to 4.2% in August and stayed there in September. Rent measures in the CPI tend to move slowly because most tenancies are repriced only once a year, so a quick reversal is less likely than a gradual drift. F6 F7 F8
  • The rate sits above its ten-year average of 3%, yet well below the 7.8% peak of January 2025, which leaves room for drift in either direction without any strong pull back towards the average in the short term. L1 L3 F8
  • Average weekly earnings growth of 3.7% in the three months to August, a different measure from the rent index, shows no sharp slowdown in pay. Income growth of that kind usually supports landlords' ability to keep raising rents at a steady pace. C70

What would change this view

  • If the 12-month rent rate falls back below 3.5% in the next releases
  • If it climbs past the 4.3% recorded in September 2025

This is the AI’s own interpretation of the official figures above, not an official forecast. It may turn out wrong.

Scenarios to watch

  • Scenario, not a forecast If the October and November readings stay at or above the July level of 4.1%, the summer step-up would look like a new plateau rather than a blip.
  • Scenario, not a forecast If the rate slips back towards the 3.4% seen in May and June, the July jump would read more like a one-off shift tied to the comparison with a year earlier.

What to check next

  • The October 2026 CPI release and whether the rent rate stays at or above 4.1%
  • Whether the rate moves back towards its ten-year average of 3%
  • The next average weekly earnings figures, read as a separate measure from rents

Verified data used in this report

IndicatorValuePeriodSourcesAccessed
F1UK · Rent inflation3.2%Feb 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F2UK · Rent inflation3.1%Mar 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F3UK · Rent inflation3.5%Apr 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F4UK · Rent inflation3.4%May 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F5UK · Rent inflation3.4%Jun 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F6UK · Rent inflation4.1%Jul 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F7UK · Rent inflation4.2%Aug 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
F8UK · Rent inflation4.2%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
L1UK · Rent inflation · highest in 10 yrs (Vernumo calculation)7.8%Jan 2025Office for National Statistics (UK)
L3UK · Rent inflation · 10-yr average (Vernumo calculation)3%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
L4UK · Rent inflation4.3%Sept 2025Office for National Statistics (UK)
C70UK · Wage growth3.7%Aug 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
Other background figures (21)
IndicatorValuePeriodSourcesAccessed
L2UK · Rent inflation · lowest in 10 yrs (Vernumo calculation)0.3%Jan 2018Office for National Statistics (UK)
C55UK · GDP growth1.39%2025World Bank
C56UK · House prices3%Q2 2026OECD
C57UK · Unemployment rate4.75%2025World Bank
C58UK · Fertility rate1.552024World Bank
C59UK · Share of population aged 65+19.7%2025World Bank
C60UK · Population growth0.3%2025World Bank
C61UK · Central bank policy rate3.75%Oct 2026Bank of England
C62UK · Consumer price inflation3.5%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
C63UK · Housing cost inflation3.6%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
C64UK · Electricity price inflation3%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
C65UK · Food price inflation1.3%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
C66UK · Fuel price inflation29.8%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
C67UK · Gas price inflation9.8%Sept 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
C69UK · Unemployment rate4.7%Jul 2026Office for National Statistics (UK)
R118United Kingdom position among OECD member countries by house price growth over 12 months, counted from the lowest (1 = lowest in the OECD)10Q2 2026OECD
R119number of OECD member countries with house price growth over 12 months data for this period31Q2 2026OECD
R120United Kingdom house price growth over 12 months, OECD comparison measure (OECD nominal house price index, 12-month change; can differ from the national release)3%Q2 2026OECD
R214United Kingdom position among OECD member countries by total fertility rate (births per woman), counted from the highest (1 = highest in the OECD)82024World Bank
R215number of OECD member countries with total fertility rate (births per woman) data for this period382024World Bank
R216United Kingdom total fertility rate (births per woman), OECD comparison measure (World Bank, total fertility rate; can differ from the national release)1.552024World Bank

Sources

  • Source: Office for National Statistics, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — license
  • Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) — license
  • Source: OECD, accessed 2026-11-05 — license
  • Source: Bank of England, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 — license

How this report was checked

  • Data: the newest reference period cited is Q2 2026.
  • Figures were collected from the source on
  • Written by an AI model (claude-opus-5-5) using only the official figures listed in this report.
  • Automatic checks passed: every number matches a cited figure, every paragraph names its evidence, and there is no investment advice or copied source text.
  • A separate quality-check model raised concerns, and the report was rewritten once to address them.
  • No person reviewed this report before publication. Automatic checks confirm the numbers, not every interpretation.
Update history
  • 2026-11-05 09:30 UTC — created
  • 2026-11-05 09:30 UTC — approved+published

This analysis was written by AI from official statistics and passed automated checks. Last checked: 2026-11-05

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