London rent data, August 2026
London Rents Rose 3.5% in a Year, Up From 1.1% in January
The average London private rent was £2,332 pcm in August 2026, up £79 from £2,253 in August 2025, per the Office for National Statistics. That is a rise of 3.5%. The annual rate was 1.1% in January 2026. The current 3.5% is below the 5.7% of a year earlier and the 11.5% peak in the 12 months to November 2024.
ONS figures are the average monthly rent paid on all private tenancies in England, new and existing, from rents collected by Valuation Office Agency rent officers. New listings ask more. RentReboot's median asking rent for a new 1-bed listing is £2,095 pcm (the 90 days to 2 October 2026), against an ONS average of £1,760 for a 1-bed. The two are not directly comparable; the section below explains why.
Average rent paid, London
£2,332
ONS, August 2026, all private tenancies
Change in 12 months
+3.5%
ONS, August 2025 to August 2026. England: +4.0%
Median asking rent, new 1-bed listings
£2,095
RentReboot, the 90 days to 2 October 2026
How fast London rents are rising
The ONS annual rate for London fell from 11.5% in November 2024 to 1.1% in January 2026, then rose to 3.5% in August 2026. Since August 2023 the London average has risen 19.9%, from £1,945 to £2,332 pcm.
Annual change in the average private rent
London 3.5% and England 4.0% in the 12 months to August 2026. London's rate peaked at 11.5% (November 2024) and was 1.1% in January 2026.
- London
- England
| Month | London | England |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2021 | -0.2% | 1.0% |
| Feb 2021 | -0.6% | 1.0% |
| Mar 2021 | -1.0% | 1.0% |
| Apr 2021 | -1.2% | 1.0% |
| May 2021 | -1.8% | 0.9% |
| Jun 2021 | -1.6% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2021 | -2.3% | 1.0% |
| Aug 2021 | -2.2% | 1.2% |
| Sept 2021 | -2.1% | 1.3% |
| Oct 2021 | -1.8% | 1.5% |
| Nov 2021 | -1.5% | 1.8% |
| Dec 2021 | -0.8% | 2.3% |
| Jan 2022 | -0.4% | 2.6% |
| Feb 2022 | 0.0% | 2.8% |
| Mar 2022 | 0.5% | 3.1% |
| Apr 2022 | 1.5% | 3.5% |
| May 2022 | 2.2% | 3.9% |
| Jun 2022 | 2.4% | 4.0% |
| Jul 2022 | 3.4% | 4.4% |
| Aug 2022 | 3.9% | 4.7% |
| Sept 2022 | 4.5% | 5.0% |
| Oct 2022 | 4.5% | 5.0% |
| Nov 2022 | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Dec 2022 | 5.4% | 5.4% |
| Jan 2023 | 5.9% | 5.6% |
| Feb 2023 | 6.1% | 5.8% |
| Mar 2023 | 6.3% | 6.0% |
| Apr 2023 | 7.1% | 6.4% |
| May 2023 | 8.4% | 7.0% |
| Jun 2023 | 9.2% | 7.4% |
| Jul 2023 | 9.5% | 7.6% |
| Aug 2023 | 9.7% | 7.8% |
| Sept 2023 | 9.6% | 7.9% |
| Oct 2023 | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Nov 2023 | 9.7% | 8.1% |
| Dec 2023 | 9.7% | 8.2% |
| Jan 2024 | 9.7% | 8.4% |
| Feb 2024 | 10.5% | 8.8% |
| Mar 2024 | 11.2% | 9.0% |
| Apr 2024 | 10.7% | 8.8% |
| May 2024 | 10.1% | 8.6% |
| Jun 2024 | 9.6% | 8.6% |
| Jul 2024 | 9.6% | 8.5% |
| Aug 2024 | 9.5% | 8.4% |
| Sept 2024 | 9.7% | 8.5% |
| Oct 2024 | 10.2% | 8.7% |
| Nov 2024 | 11.5% | 9.2% |
| Dec 2024 | 11.4% | 9.1% |
| Jan 2025 | 11.0% | 8.8% |
| Feb 2025 | 9.9% | 8.3% |
| Mar 2025 | 9.1% | 7.8% |
| Apr 2025 | 8.4% | 7.5% |
| May 2025 | 7.7% | 7.1% |
| Jun 2025 | 7.3% | 6.7% |
| Jul 2025 | 6.3% | 6.0% |
| Aug 2025 | 5.7% | 5.8% |
| Sept 2025 | 5.3% | 5.5% |
| Oct 2025 | 4.3% | 5.0% |
| Nov 2025 | 2.8% | 4.4% |
| Dec 2025 | 2.1% | 3.9% |
| Jan 2026 | 1.1% | 3.5% |
| Feb 2026 | 1.7% | 3.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 1.7% | 3.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 2.0% | 3.5% |
| May 2026 | 2.0% | 3.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 2.2% | 3.4% |
| Jul 2026 | 3.0% | 3.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 3.5% | 4.0% |
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, monthly, not seasonally adjusted, released 16 September 2026. ONS figures are the average monthly rent paid on all private tenancies in England, new and existing, from rents collected by Valuation Office Agency rent officers. The series starts in January 2015, so the first annual change is January 2016. ONS also publishes a longer series chained to its older index, but advises caution across the 2015 method change, so it is not used here.
What tenants pay vs what new listings ask
New 1-bed listings ask a median of £2,095 pcm, 19.0% more than the ONS average 1-bed rent of £1,760. For a 2-bed the figures are £2,700 and £2,232, a gap of 21.0%. The two numbers measure different things and are not directly comparable. ONS averages the rents paid on all private tenancies, including long-running ones, in August 2026. Ours is the median asking rent of new listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026: asking rents, not signed rents, and not the same mix of homes.
Average rent paid vs median asking rent of new listings
London, by bedrooms. ONS average for August 2026; RentReboot median for listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026.
- Average rent paid (ONS, August 2026)
- Median asking rent, new listings (RentReboot)
| Size | Average rent paid (ONS, August 2026) | Median asking rent, new listings | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bed | £1,760 | £2,095 | £335 (19.0%) |
| 2-bed | £2,232 | £2,700 | £468 (21.0%) |
| 3-bed | £2,643 | £3,400 | £757 (28.6%) |
The two numbers measure different things and are not directly comparable. ONS averages the rents paid on all private tenancies, including long-running ones, in August 2026. Ours is the median asking rent of new listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026: asking rents, not signed rents, and not the same mix of homes.
Since 1 May 2026, landlords and agents in England cannot ask for or accept offers above the rent in a written advert (GOV.UK: rental bidding), so the asking rent is the most a new tenant can be asked for that home. The rent agreed can still be lower. Neighbourhood asking rents are on average rent in London by neighbourhood.
Rents in every London borough
In August 2026, the ONS average was highest in Kensington and Chelsea (£3,690 pcm) and lowest in Bexley (£1,537 pcm). Over 12 months it rose most in Islington (6.2%) and fell in Westminster (-0.6%) and Kingston upon Thames (-1.2%).
The 32 London boroughs ONS publishes
Average monthly private rent, August 2026. London as a whole: £2,332 pcm.
| Borough | Average rent |
|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | £3,690 |
| Westminster | £3,196 |
| Islington | £2,868 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £2,825 |
| Camden | £2,819 |
| Hackney | £2,658 |
| Wandsworth | £2,632 |
| Lambeth | £2,525 |
| Southwark | £2,474 |
| Tower Hamlets | £2,453 |
| Richmond upon Thames | £2,333 |
| Haringey | £2,219 |
| Merton | £2,172 |
| Ealing | £2,109 |
| Brent | £2,014 |
| Greenwich | £1,995 |
| Hounslow | £1,952 |
| Barnet | £1,949 |
| Newham | £1,928 |
| Lewisham | £1,829 |
| Enfield | £1,827 |
| Kingston upon Thames | £1,811 |
| Harrow | £1,778 |
| Waltham Forest | £1,763 |
| Redbridge | £1,726 |
| Barking and Dagenham | £1,698 |
| Bromley | £1,684 |
| Croydon | £1,582 |
| Hillingdon | £1,570 |
| Havering | £1,565 |
| Sutton | £1,556 |
| Bexley | £1,537 |
Source: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, released 16 September 2026. ONS does not publish the City of London (too few rents collected). ONS advises looking at longer trends for local areas, because local monthly figures can move with the mix of homes collected. One-year changes use the ONS index; three-year changes use the published average rents.
| Borough | Average rent | 1-bed | 2-bed | 1 year | 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kensington and Chelsea | £3,690 | £2,640 | £3,428 | 2.1% | 16.9% |
| Westminster | £3,196 | £2,548 | £3,305 | -0.6% | 10.5% |
| Islington | £2,868 | £2,178 | £2,697 | 6.2% | 27.5% |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | £2,825 | £2,000 | £2,622 | 3.3% | 20.3% |
| Camden | £2,819 | £2,054 | £2,621 | 1.0% | 15.3% |
| Hackney | £2,658 | £2,001 | £2,489 | 3.6% | 24.6% |
| Wandsworth | £2,632 | £1,938 | £2,463 | 4.2% | 20.7% |
| Lambeth | £2,525 | £1,882 | £2,342 | 3.7% | 22.5% |
| Southwark | £2,474 | £1,876 | £2,348 | 5.4% | 18.1% |
| Tower Hamlets | £2,453 | £1,992 | £2,418 | 3.5% | 19.7% |
| Richmond upon Thames | £2,333 | £1,732 | £2,222 | 4.4% | 24.8% |
| Haringey | £2,219 | £1,639 | £2,034 | 1.4% | 21.0% |
| Merton | £2,172 | £1,639 | £2,024 | 5.4% | 19.7% |
| Ealing | £2,109 | £1,629 | £2,033 | 3.0% | 25.2% |
| Brent | £2,014 | £1,577 | £1,934 | 3.4% | 26.7% |
| Greenwich | £1,995 | £1,563 | £1,932 | 6.1% | 26.1% |
| Hounslow | £1,952 | £1,583 | £1,947 | 3.2% | 25.1% |
| Barnet | £1,949 | £1,500 | £1,858 | 3.3% | 17.0% |
| Newham | £1,928 | £1,630 | £1,993 | 2.9% | 18.9% |
| Lewisham | £1,829 | £1,457 | £1,789 | 2.0% | 18.7% |
| Enfield | £1,827 | £1,422 | £1,764 | 5.1% | 25.2% |
| Kingston upon Thames | £1,811 | £1,379 | £1,755 | -1.2% | 15.9% |
| Harrow | £1,778 | £1,394 | £1,715 | 2.9% | 21.7% |
| Waltham Forest | £1,763 | £1,400 | £1,723 | 1.5% | 18.1% |
| Redbridge | £1,726 | £1,368 | £1,681 | 2.0% | 21.6% |
| Barking and Dagenham | £1,698 | £1,377 | £1,721 | 2.6% | 26.6% |
| Bromley | £1,684 | £1,312 | £1,641 | 2.7% | 16.9% |
| Croydon | £1,582 | £1,265 | £1,573 | 3.2% | 21.6% |
| Hillingdon | £1,570 | £1,252 | £1,586 | 2.5% | 21.4% |
| Havering | £1,565 | £1,217 | £1,542 | 1.5% | 22.7% |
| Sutton | £1,556 | £1,239 | £1,554 | 2.1% | 21.3% |
| Bexley | £1,537 | £1,229 | £1,526 | 1.6% | 22.1% |
| London | £2,332 | £1,760 | £2,232 | 3.5% | 19.9% |
ONS Price Index of Private Rents, August 2026, released 16 September 2026. 1 year: change in the ONS index, August 2025 to August 2026. 3 years: change in the published average rent since August 2023. City of London not published.
Your rent vs your borough
Pick your borough and the size of your home. You will see the ONS average rent paid there, how your rent compares, and what new listings ask in each of our neighbourhoods in that borough.
- ONS average rent paid, 1-bed, Hackney, August 2026
- £2,001 pcm
- Your rent compared with that average
- 10.0% below
- Change in that average in 12 months
- +3.8%
What new 1-bed listings ask in Hackney
RentReboot median asking rent, by neighbourhood, for listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026. London-wide: £2,095 pcm.
| Neighbourhood | Median asking rent | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| Hackney Central & Homerton | £2,000 pcm | 392 |
| Stoke Newington & Clissold | £2,150 pcm | 385 |
| Dalston & London Fields | £2,200 pcm | 206 |
| Shoreditch & Hoxton | £2,600 pcm | 529 |
The two numbers measure different things and are not directly comparable. ONS averages the rents paid on all private tenancies, including long-running ones, in August 2026. Ours is the median asking rent of new listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026: asking rents, not signed rents, and not the same mix of homes. Our neighbourhoods are groups of ONS wards. All but one sit in a single borough; Soho & Covent Garden spans Westminster and Camden and is listed under both. Not advice on what you should pay.
Can your rent go up?
England has no fixed percentage cap on rent increases. Since 1 May 2026, a landlord can raise the rent of an assured tenancy only once a year, with a Section 13 notice (Form 4A) and at least 2 months' notice. You can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide if you think the new rent is above the market rent. Read what the Renters' Rights Act changed in 2026, the London deposit and tenant fees guide, and renting a room in a London flatshare.
Get new London flats by email
Pick your neighbourhoods and budget once. RentReboot watches property portals, letting agent websites, landlord-direct sites, flatshares and build-to-rent operators, and emails you the listings that match.
Set up London alertsQuestions about London rents
How much have rents gone up in London?
The ONS Price Index of Private Rents puts the average London private rent at £2,332 pcm in August 2026, up £79 (3.5%) from £2,253 in August 2025. The annual rate was 1.1% in January 2026 and peaked at 11.5% in the 12 months to November 2024. Over five years, since August 2021, the London average rose 36.7%. For England as a whole the annual rate was 4.0% in August 2026.
What is the average rent in London?
£2,332 pcm in August 2026, per the ONS: £1,760 for a 1-bed, £2,232 for a 2-bed and £2,643 for a 3-bed. That is what tenants pay across all private tenancies, new and existing. New listings ask more: RentReboot's median asking rent is £2,095 pcm for a 1-bed and £2,700 for a 2-bed (the 90 days to 2 October 2026). The two numbers measure different things and are not directly comparable. ONS averages the rents paid on all private tenancies, including long-running ones, in August 2026. Ours is the median asking rent of new listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026: asking rents, not signed rents, and not the same mix of homes.
Which London borough has the highest rent?
In August 2026 the ONS average was highest in Kensington and Chelsea (£3,690 pcm) and lowest in Bexley (£1,537 pcm). ONS does not publish a figure for the City of London because it collects too few rents there.
Where in London are rents rising fastest?
In the 12 months to August 2026, the ONS average rose most in Islington (6.2%), Greenwich (6.1%) and Southwark (5.4%). 2 boroughs fell. ONS advises looking at longer trends for local areas, because monthly figures there can move with the mix of homes collected, so the table on this page also shows the three-year change.
How much can my landlord raise my rent in London?
England has no fixed percentage cap. Since 1 May 2026 a landlord can raise the rent of an assured tenancy only once a year, with a Section 13 notice (Form 4A) and at least 2 months' notice, and not in the first 12 months of a new tenancy. If you think the new rent is above the market rent, you can ask the First-tier Tribunal to decide. Our Renters' Rights Act guide has the details.
Where do these numbers come from?
Official figures: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics, released 16 September 2026, latest month August 2026. ONS figures are the average monthly rent paid on all private tenancies in England, new and existing, from rents collected by Valuation Office Agency rent officers. Asking rents: RentReboot's median for whole-home London listings first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026, one listing per address, rooms in flatshares excluded.
Sources and method
- ONS, Price Index of Private Rents, UK: monthly price statistics (released 16 September 2026; next release 21 October 2026)
- ONS bulletin: Private rent and house prices, UK: September 2026
- ONS: Price Index of Private Rents quality and methodology
ONS figures are the average monthly rent paid on all private tenancies in England, new and existing, from rents collected by Valuation Office Agency rent officers. ONS derives each average rent by applying the index change to a base set of rents from January 2023. PIPR became official statistics on 20 May 2026. The latest months can be revised: between the ONS editions of 19 August and 16 September 2026, no London or borough figure changed.
Asking rents are RentReboot's median for every whole-home London listing first seen in the 90 days to 2 October 2026, one listing per address (the newest wins, so a flat advertised on several sites counts once). Rooms in flatshares are excluded. Our 100 neighbourhoods are groups of ONS wards; each ward's borough comes from the ONS ward to local authority lookup. General information, not legal or financial advice.
Related: average rent by neighbourhood · the best sites to find a flat in London · London rental alerts · all rent data