UK renters paying £8 per sq ft, £12 in London – ideal flatmate’s Q3, Room Rental Index

The latest Room Rental Index by ideal flatmate has been released for Q3 2019, looking at the cost of renting a room across the UK’s major cities and each London borough. You can find the full index report attached in pdf form, including current average room rentals, the quarter to quarter change, and the cost per square foot, but for any further comment or info, please get in touch.

The latest index shows that: –

  • The average room rental cost across the UK is £584, up 1% quarter to quarter.

 

  • UK room renters are currently paying £8 per square foot.

 

  • The average room rental cost across London is £813 – the highest of all major UK cities.

 

  • Renting a room in the capital costs an average of £12 per square foot, up from £11 at the start of this year.

 

  • At an average cost of £1,025 a room, per month, Westminster is currently the most expensive London borough – a cost of £15 per square foot.

 

  • Aberdeen is the most affordable UK city in which to rent a room costing just £4 per square foot – an average cost of £268 per month.

 

  • London, Nottingham and Bristol have seen the largest quarterly uplifts in room rental prices, while Havering Lewisham and Hillingdon have seen the biggest increases in cost across the capital.

Co-founder of ideal flatmate, Tom Gatzen, commented:

“A mixed bag throughout the third quarter with the cost of renting a room on the up yet again across the majority of UK cities, although some of the more expensive areas of London and the UK have seen the rate of rental growth cool to a degree.

It’s still not clear as to whether the ban on tenant fees has led to a notable increase in rents and if it has, this certainly hasn’t trickled through to the nation’s renters yet.

On the whole, we’re seeing lower rates of rental growth quarter to quarter than we did earlier in the year, but with changes to the tenant fees only impacting new tenancies or renewals, we could be yet to see the widespread surge in rental costs that many are expecting.

While there have been some large uplifts across the nation’s more prominent cities and London’s peripheral boroughs, this increase is more likely to have been driven by tenant demand more than any other factor.”

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Estate Agent Talk

How Technology is Changing the Prime Property Viewing Experience

The world of luxury real estate has always been about delivering a premium, personal experience. But in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, even the most traditional sectors are being reshaped by technology—and prime property viewings are no exception. From augmented reality to AI-driven virtual tours, the way buyers interact with high-end properties has changed dramatically.…
Read More
Love or Hate Rightmove
Breaking News

Average two-year fixed mortgage rate for 60% LTV now cheaper than five-year rate

The average two-year fixed mortgage rate for those with a 40% deposit (60% LTV) is now cheaper than the average five-year fixed equivalent, the first time this has happened since the mini-Budget The average two-year fixed, 60% LTV mortgage rate is now 4.18%, while the five-year equivalent is 4.19% The gap between average two-year fixed…
Read More
Overseas Property

How UK Property Investors Can Manage Exchange Rate Risk When Buying Off-Plan Overseas

Off-plan purchases are especially common in developing overseas property markets with a high proportion of international investors. In these less mature markets, a significant share of stock is sold directly by developers, making off-plan transactions a natural sales model. These opportunities appeal to international buyers because they typically require less upfront cash due to extended…
Read More
Breaking News

Foxtons Lettings Market Index – March 2025

London rental market gains momentum as new rental listings surge, Foxtons data shows   March saw a 14% increase in new rental listings across London compared to February Applicant registrations rose by 11% month-on-month in March. Year on year, demand was stable, tracking just 2% below March 2024 levels The average rent in March stood…
Read More
Breaking News

UK’s mid-market firms show improved business growth in March but economic uncertainty continues

Key findings: NatWest’s Mid-market Growth Tracker shows improved business growth in March, led by a strong service sector performance SMEs register a softer decline in output levels during March Market conditions remain challenging and we could see continued challenges in the coming months   Mid-market businesses continued to outperform the wider UK economy in March,…
Read More
Breaking News

ONS Private rent and house prices UK – April 2025

The Price Index of Private Rents (PIPR) measures private rent inflation for new and existing tenancies. The UK House Price Index measures house price inflation. Main Headlines Average UK monthly private rents increased by 7.7%, to £1,332, in the 12 months to March 2025 (provisional estimate); this annual growth rate is down from 8.1% in…
Read More