Average monthly rent in London
Average monthly rent in London stood at £2,332 per month in Aug 2026, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS). It is one of the indicators in the Private rents table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jan 2015 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Private rents table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average monthly rent by region | |||||||||||
| London | 2,332 | 2,317 | 2,302 | 2,294 | 2,290 | 2,280 | 2,273 | 2,253 | 2,268 | 2,271 | |
| South East | 1,426 | 1,419 | 1,415 | 1,418 | 1,414 | 1,411 | 1,409 | 1,405 | 1,402 | 1,399 |
Understanding average monthly rent in London
Metropolitan lease transactions across the capital are aggregated to establish the average monthly tenancy cost for privately rented homes within this dense urban territory. The series records actual monthly outlays derived from administrative property records, covering studio apartments up to large multi-bedroom houses held by private landlords. Excluded from the dataset are social housing allocations, holiday lets, and owner-occupied dwellings. This row captures unique urban density factors that separate its monetary scale significantly from rural or smaller regional counterparts in the table.
Observers must account for pronounced compositional shifts within the housing stock, as changes in the proportion of flats versus houses let can distort the headline average independently of underlying price movements. Monthly figures frequently experience revision as administrative returns arrive late from letting agents and landlords. Analysts should employ twelve-month percentage changes to evaluate sustained momentum rather than reacting to volatile single-month fluctuations driven by seasonal contract renewals.
Frequently asked questions
- Why are London rental figures typically higher than other regions?
- High urban density, unique local demand pressures, and the dominance of smaller properties shape this specific market.
- Do these figures include social housing tenancies?
- No, social rent properties are entirely excluded from the private rental index calculations.
- How are revisions handled in early releases?
- Initial estimates may be updated as further administrative tenancy records are processed in subsequent months.