Average rents for new-to-the-market two bedroom properties in Scotland, the most common type of private rented property, increased in the year to September at a faster rate than inflation, Scotland’s Chief Statistician has reported.
The overall average was put at 1.1 per cent, compared to the Consumer Price Index increase of 0.5 per cent.
There was considerable regional variation with above-inflation increases in 11 out of 18 areas,. Rents in East Dunbartonshire rose by 4 per cent, according to official figures. Five areas saw little change in average rents compared with the previous year, with annual changes ranging between a fall of 0.5 per cent and an increase of the same percentage.
Two areas saw average two bedroom rents decrease by more than 0.5 per cent: the Ayrshires (including East, North and South Ayrshire) where rents went down by 0.6 per cent, and West Dunbartonshire, where they decreased by 1.3 per cent.
There were also estimated increases in average rents across Scotland for one bedroom properties (up 1.8 per cent), three bedroom (up 2.2 per cent), four bedroom (up 2.0 per cent) and one bedroom shared properties where a room is rented in shared accommodation (up 2.5 per cent).
Over the previous ten years rents in Lothian and Greater Glasgow have increased above the rate of inflation across all property sizes. But in the Ayrshires, Dumfries and Galloway, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire, average rents rose less than the rate of inflation, said the Chief Statistician.
The report notes that rental information is in part based on advertised rents and does not reflect rent increases, if any, in continuing tenancies.
