Average London Rent Now Requires £75,000 Salary, Says Propertymark
Lettings

Average London Rent Now Requires £75,000 Salary, Says Propertymark

By Jordan Hale, Senior Lettings Editor · 10 August 2026 · 2 min read

Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by The Negotiator. Read the original article for full details.

London Rental Affordability Hits New High

Tenants seeking to rent an average property in London now need an annual salary of almost £75,000, according to new data from Propertymark’s latest rental price tracker. The report highlights a sharp 4.2% month-on-month rise in average rents in the capital, increasing from £2,385 to £2,484.

Propertymark’s tracker found that London experienced the strongest monthly rental growth last month. The representative annual salary required to secure an average-priced rental home in London has risen from £70,050 to £74,520, marking a 6.4% increase year-on-year.

Regional Rental Trends

The North West recorded the second-largest monthly rent increase, with average rents rising from £1,110 to £1,131, a 1.9% month-on-month rise. This pushed the representative salary needed in the region from £32,700 to £33,930, up 3.8% year-on-year.

In contrast, Wales saw the largest monthly rental decline, with average rents dropping from £1,009 to £1,000, a decrease of 0.9%. The representative salary needed in Wales also fell from £30,510 to £30,000, down 1.7% year-on-year.

Other regions with monthly rent increases included the West Midlands (up 1.7%), the South East (up 0.8%), and Scotland (up 0.2%). Declines were noted in the North East (down 0.9%), South West (down 0.7%), East Midlands (down 1.1%), East of England (down 0.2%), and Yorkshire and Humberside (down 0.1%).

National Overview

Across Britain, the average monthly rent stands at £1,544. The average annual salary needed to rent nationally is currently £46,320. While year-on-year rental growth has moderated compared to previous years, rents remain historically high.

The report analysed average agreed rental prices and the typical annual salary required by referencing agencies for tenants to affordably rent in various regions.


Source: The Negotiator
About the author
Jordan Hale
Senior Lettings Editor

Jordan Hale leads The Property AI's lettings coverage with a focus on UK rental legislation, agent compliance, and the day-to-day pressures facing letting agents. Articles bylined Jordan Hale combine current trade reporting with practical guidance for letting agents and inventory…

Specialises in: Renters' Rights Act, EPC regulations, tenancy deposit schemes, agent licensing, Right to Rent compliance.

Streamline Your Property Management

See how The Property AI helps landlords and letting agents create inventory reports and grow their business.

Book a Free Demo