Goodlord’s September Rental Index puts the average UK rent at £1,581 a month, up 4.9% from £1,507 a year earlier, while the North East recorded the sharpest annual rise at 14%.
The monthly data also showed rents rising 0.9% from August and the average void period easing by a day to 20 days. But the national increase hides a split market: the East of England was the only region where rents fell year on year, by 0.4%.
Local pricing decisions need more than a national rent average. The North East combined its fastest rent growth with average voids of 11 days, while Yorkshire and the Humber had the longest voids at 29 days despite strong annual rent growth.
North East rent growth outpaces the rest of the UK
Average North East rents rose from £878 in September 2025 to £1,000 last month, according to Goodlord, a £122 monthly change. Wales recorded annual growth of more than 7%, England rose 5.5% and Scotland’s increase was just under 3%.
This follows Residential Landlord’s July report on HomeLet’s regional rent figures, which found London growth outpacing much of the country at that point. Goodlord’s latest reading shifts the immediate pressure northwards, while also showing that regional rent momentum is far from uniform.
Landlords should test comparable lets, void performance and tenant affordability in their own patch before setting a new asking rent. The contrast is also relevant to investors assessing demand: Residential Landlord’s recent Rightmove analysis of renter enquiries in Wirral showed how local demand can be much stronger than a broad market average suggests.
The September Goodlord Rental Index is based on data from more than 3,000 letting agencies. It says every tracked region except Yorkshire and the Humber recorded a month-on-month increase, though the Yorkshire fall was only 0.2%.
William Reeve, Goodlord’s chief executive, said: “The overall pace of rent growth does appear to be slowing, particularly in certain regions.”
Voids show a second regional divide
The 20-day UK average void was down from 21 days in August. The North East recorded the shortest gap between tenancies at 11 days, whereas Yorkshire and the Humber averaged 29 days. Those figures should temper simple conclusions drawn from rent growth alone: a higher achieved rent does not automatically mean the same letting conditions across neighbouring regions.
Goodlord also points to cooling year-on-year growth in the East Midlands over the past two years. That is the key caution in a release led by a national 4.9% rise. Portfolio decisions based on last year’s rental inflation may be too optimistic where local demand is easing.
Opinion
The headline rent rise is still material, but the regional gaps are the more useful part of this update. Landlords should watch voids as closely as asking rents. A market that delivers higher rent but takes longer to let can produce a very different return from the one suggested by a national average.
