ONS Private Rent and House Prices Index
Average UK monthly private rents increased by 4.0%, to £1,368, in the 12 months to December 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 4.4% in the 12 months to November 2025.
Average rents increased to £1,424 (3.9%) in England, £822 (5.7%) in Wales, and £1,018 (2.8%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to December 2025.
In Northern Ireland, average rents increased to £873 (5.7%), in the 12 months to October 2025.
In England, private rents annual inflation was highest in the North East (7.9%), and lowest in London (2.1%), in the 12 months to December 2025.
Average UK house prices increased by 2.5%, to £271,000, in the 12 months to November 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is up from 1.9%, in the 12 months to October 2025.
Average house prices increased to £293,000 (2.2%) in England, £209,000 (0.7%) in Wales, and £193,000 (4.5%) in Scotland, in the 12 months to November 2025.
Commenting on house prices, Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark:
“Despite considerable political and economic uncertainty, it is positive to see the housing market deliver sustained momentum over the last twelve months. Looking at industry data, there were around 82,000 additional housing transactions last year compared to the year previous, which directly underlines growing consumer confidence and affordability in many regions.
“As we further embark into 2026, there are encouraging signs that the housing market will continue to deliver growth. However, with inflation seeing a slight increase, there could be potential hesitation from the Bank of England regarding further dips in base rate in the short term or until conditions prove supportive.”
Commenting on rental prices, Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark:
“Any increase in potential average rental costs rightly brings concerns for consumers, especially those who are squeezed by cost-of-living pressures. Although we have witnessed rental inflation trend further downwards, the rental market continues to suffer from a chronic undersupply of properties versus actual demand.
“We currently sit in a situation where many letting agents continue to highlight concerns regarding the impact of updated legislation and the real-world effect such changes are having on many landlords’ ability to operate. This, coupled with additional and often more complex tax frameworks, has brought profound change within the sector and applied additional pressure on already overstretched stock levels.”
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