Scottish rents rose 7.7 percent in May, the sharpest monthly increase of any UK region in Propertymark’s latest rental price and salary tracker, while the salary needed to secure an average home also climbed across most of the country.
The trade body’s new figures put average rent in Scotland at £1,257 in May, up from £1,167 in April, with London also posting a notable monthly rise from £2,259 to £2,307. Yorkshire and Humberside recorded the biggest annual increase in the salary needed to pass referencing for an average rental home, rising 3.5 percent year on year to £29,280.
For landlords, the latest split matters because it shows rent growth is still available in parts of the market, but affordability pressure is hardening at the same time. Propertymark’s figures suggest regional demand remains uneven rather than cooling in one clear national pattern.
Scotland leads May’s regional rent moves
Propertymark said Scotland delivered the strongest month-on-month gain in May, with average agreed rents climbing by £90 in a month. London was next among the higher-cost markets with a 2.1 percent monthly rise, while the North East increased 4.9 percent and Yorkshire and Humberside rose 2.7 percent.
Not every region moved the same way. The East of England saw average rent edge down 0.7 percent month on month to £1,338, and the South West dipped 0.8 percent to £1,274. The South East increased only 0.4 percent, but still required a representative annual salary of £44,640 to secure the average-priced home.
That leaves landlords with a more fragmented market than the headline UK picture suggests. Stronger local demand can still support higher rents, but some areas now look more sensitive to tenant budgets and referencing limits than they did earlier in the year.
Affordability pressure is still building
The salary data points the same way. In Scotland, the representative salary needed to secure an average-priced rental home rose from £36,870 a year earlier to £37,710. London reached £69,210, while the North East climbed 2.9 percent year on year to £26,310 and Yorkshire and Humberside rose 3.5 percent to £29,280.
Megan Eighteen, President of ARLA Propertymark, said: “May’s figures underline how localised rental market conditions have become across the UK. While average rents increased nationally during the month, much of that growth was driven by stronger-performing regions such as Scotland, London and parts of northern England, rather than a broad-based rise across all areas.”
She added that affordability remained a significant concern because in most regions the salary needed to secure an average rental home had increased over the past year, with especially notable rises in Yorkshire and Humberside, the North East and Scotland.
Northern Ireland was excluded from this month’s regional analysis because Propertymark said the sample size was significantly lower than in previous reporting periods.
Landlords face a more uneven summer market
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s report on April’s regional rent split, which found Scotland and London were already pulling away from weaker markets. The latest figures suggest that divide has widened again rather than fading at the start of summer.
The new tracker also lands days after Landlord Knowledge covered Goodlord’s latest rental inflation reading, which showed headline rent inflation staying subdued in May. Taken together, the two reports suggest landlords should be wary of broad UK averages: local pricing power still exists, but it is becoming more concentrated.
Landlords reviewing rents over the summer will need to watch both demand and affordability. In markets where salaries are not keeping pace, a higher asking rent may look achievable on paper but still fail at referencing or lead to longer voids. In stronger regions, the data still points to enough competition for well-priced stock to support firmer renewals.
Propertymark’s underlying report sits within its housing insight reports, which track agreed rents and the salary needed to secure homes across UK regions.
What this means for landlords
- If you’re in Scotland or London: the latest figures still support firmer pricing, but affordability limits are rising with them.
- Watch for: referencing pressure in regions where salary requirements are rising faster than rents, especially Yorkshire and Humberside and the North East.
- Bottom line: regional evidence matters more than a single UK rent headline, so rent reviews should be based on local demand and tenant affordability together.
Editor’s view
Scotland’s jump is the eye-catching number, but the more important point for landlords is how uneven the market now looks. The next few months are likely to reward landlords who price to local affordability rather than assuming a national rent trend will do the work for them.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 10 June 2026
Sources: Propertymark rental price and average salary tracker – May 2026, Propertymark housing insight reports
Related reading: April rents split by region as Scotland and London jump
