London and the North West see rental affordability improve – Propertymark

Landlords are seeing rent levels move in different directions across the UK, while the salary needed to secure an average-priced home has fallen in most regions over the past year.

Propertymark says London recorded one of the sharpest affordability shifts in June, despite rents rising month-on-month.

The representative annual salary needed to secure the average-priced rent home in London fell from £86,250 in June 2025 to £71,550, a drop of 17%.

Average rents in the capital, covering inner and outer London, rose from £2,307 in May to £2,385, an increase of 3.4%.

Affordability pressures

Kim Lidbury, the president of ARLA Propertymark, said: “The latest figures demonstrate that rental markets continue to move at different speeds across the UK.

“While rents continue to rise in areas such as London, the North West and the South East, other regions are experiencing more stable pricing or modest declines.”

She added: “Encouragingly, the typical salary needed to secure a rental property has fallen across most regions compared with a year ago, with London and the North West seeing particularly notable improvements.

“However, affordability pressures remain significant as rents continue to sit well above historic levels and demand for quality rental homes continues to outstrip supply.”

Regional rent rises

The data shows that the North West had a larger annual fall in the salary needed to secure an average-priced home, down from £40,350 to £33,300.

That was a fall of 17.5%.

However, rents in the region still rose month-on-month, from £1,087 in May to £1,110.

Yorkshire and Humberside also recorded a sizeable fall in the salary needed, from £33,900 to £28,980, down 14.5%.

Average rents there fell from £976 in May to £966, a monthly drop of 1%.

Rents fall in some regions

The South East saw the annual salary needed fall from £49,500 to £45,390, down 8.3%, while rents rose from £1,488 in May to £1,513 in June.

In Scotland, average rents fell from £1,257 in May to £1,186 in June, the largest monthly fall among the reported regions.

The annual salary needed to secure an average-priced home rose slightly, from £35,220 to £35,580.

Wales recorded an average rent of £1,009 in June, down from £1,013 in May.

The salary needed fell year-on-year from £31,140 to £30,270.

Lower salaries needed

In the East Midlands, rents rose from £989 to £993, while the salary needed slipped from £30,000 last year to £29,790.

The East of England recorded average rents of £1,351, up from £1,338 in May.

The representative salary needed fell from £42,180 to £40,530.

In the North East, rents rose from £877 to £883, while the salary needed fell from £27,240 to £26,490.

Highest rent rise

The South West saw rents increase from £1,274 to £1,291, with the salary needed falling from £40,230 to £38,730.

The West Midlands recorded a small monthly rent fall, from £1,044 in May to £1,040.

The salary needed fell from £32,670 to £31,320.

Northern Ireland had the second-highest average rent in the June figures, at £1,469, with a representative salary requirement of £44,070.