Emergency rent freeze official statistics released by the Scottish Government show that landlords have not been profiteering when it comes to rent increases.

Against an inflation rate of 7.6 per cent, average rents in Scotland increased in the year to end September by 6.3 per cent for one bedroom properties, 6.2 per cent for two bedroom, 7.4 per cent for three, and 7.5 per cent for four.

Although average rents paid for two bedroom properties, the most common type of private rented home in Scotland, had increased by an estimated 6.2 per, they have gone up by more than the rate of inflation in seven of Scotland’s 18 areas. The average per area ranged from 7.7 per cent in Greater Glasgow up to 10.3 per cent in South Lanarkshire. Against this, rents went down by 1.5 per cent in the Ayrshires.

But Scotland’s Chief Statistician pointed out that the figures were based predominantly on advertised rents. This meant that they represent increases implemented on changes of tenants and were therefore likely to be less than any increases experienced by existing tenants.

As the figures cover the period to the end of September 2022, they largely pre-date the ’emergency’ rent freeze announced by the Scottish Government on 6 September 2022.

Over the longer term, average rents in Lothian and Greater Glasgow had increased above the rate of inflation between 2010 and 2022 across all property sizes, whilst the Ayrshires, Dumfries and Galloway, North Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire had seen increases in average rents of less than the rate of inflation across all property sizes.