Data from ARLA Propertymark from around 15,000 letting agents across the UK shows that average agreed rents fell sharply in December 2025.
They are, though, broadly unchanged on an annual basis, with the dip likely to be a short-term, seasonal repricing rather than a significant shift in the rental market. The figures do, though, reveal where affordability is most stretched.
Below are Propertymark’s affordability figures, which show the salaries required to be able to afford the average rents in the different regions of the UK.
Average rents and required salaries: December 2025
| Region | Average rent | Typical annual salary required* | ONS median annual earnings | Annual rent as % of ONS earnings |
| East Midlands | £1,044 | £31,320 | £35,600 | 35.2% |
| West Midlands | £1,087 | £32,610 | £37,064 | 35.2% |
| North West | £1,121 | £33,630 | £37,361 | 36.0% |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | £1,031 | £30,930 | £35,682 | 34.7% |
| North East | £993 | £29,790 | £34,403 | 34.6% |
| Scotland | £1,039 | £31,170 | £39,719 | 31.4% |
| Wales | £1,104 | £33,120 | £35,796 | 37.0% |
| East of England | £1,322 | £39,660 | £38,597 | 41.1% |
| South East | £1,536 | £46,080 | £39,983 | 46.1% |
| London | £2,125 | £63,750 | £49,692 | 51.3% |
*Salary calculated at 30 times the monthly rent to meet typical referencing requirements.
Across the Midlands and the North, average rents are fairly closely grouped, with required income levels sitting within a relatively narrow range. London and the South East, on the other hand, rents carry at a significant premium, with required salaries well above £45,000, compared to regional markets, which tend to be in the low-£30,000 range.
And ONS median earnings data shows annual rent takes up around a third of earnings in much of the North, Midlands and Scotland, ranging from 31.4% in Scotland to 36.0% in the North West.
However, despite having higher incomes, that ratio rises markedly in the South. In the East of England, annual rent is 41.1% of median earnings, climbing to 46.1% in the South East and 51.3% in London. It means London renters face a rent-to-earnings burden around 20 percentage points higher than Scotland, and more than 15 points above several Midlands and northern regions.
Despite the December price blip, year-on-year figures show limited movement in affordability thresholds in most of the country.
Change in salary required: December 2024 vs December 2025
| Region | Dec 2024 | Dec 2025 | Annual change |
| East Midlands | £30,570 | £31,320 | +2.5% |
| West Midlands | £32,190 | £32,610 | +1.3% |
| North West | £33,810 | £33,630 | -0.5% |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | £31,290 | £30,930 | -1.2% |
| North East | £28,890 | £29,790 | +3.1% |
| London | £65,400 | £63,750 | -2.5% |
| South East | £47,190 | £46,080 | -2.4% |
The main exception was Northern Ireland, with the salary required rising by 8.5 per cent year on year to £28,350. Elsewhere, changes were relatively modest, with several regions recording small reductions.
The effects of December’s price blip, as you would expect, are most visible in the month-on-month data.
Month-on-month rent changes: November to December 2025
| Region | Nov 2025 | Dec 2025 | Monthly change |
| North East | £1,273 | £993 | -22.0% |
| Yorkshire & Humberside | £1,176 | £1,031 | -12.3% |
| West Midlands | £1,167 | £1,087 | -6.9% |
| Wales | £1,182 | £1,104 | -6.6% |
| South West | £1,578 | £1,483 | -6.0% |
| East Midlands | £1,104 | £1,044 | -5.4% |
| North West | £1,176 | £1,121 | -4.7% |
| South East | £1,606 | £1,536 | -4.4% |
| London | £2,208 | £2,125 | -3.8% |
| East of England | £1,367 | £1,322 | -3.3% |
Commenting on the figures, Megan Eighteen, President of ARLA Propertymark, said:
“While the private rented sector remains under long-term pressure, recent data shows that some areas have experienced notably sharp falls in rent levels over a very short period. These month-on-month declines suggest a cooling in parts of the market as seasonal demand eases and renters become more price-sensitive.”
She added: “However, this should not be mistaken for a broader reset in affordability. Even where rents have dipped, the overall cost of renting remains high relative to incomes, and supply shortages continue to limit choice.”
The tracker is based on final agreed rents rather than advertised prices and is based on submissions from around 15,000 letting agencies nationwide.
