UK room rents have barely changed over the past year, as growth in flatshare supply begins to slow.
Data from flatshare platform SpareRoom shows the average UK room rent stood at £747 per month in Q1 2026, almost unchanged compared with a year earlier.
The trend was reflected across most UK regions. The South West recorded the largest regional increase, with rents rising 1.5% year-on-year to £677 per month.
The picture was different in the cities, however, with stronger growth registered. Carlisle posted the highest increase at 8%, followed by Inverness at 7%, while Gloucester, Durham, Worcester and Salisbury each recorded rises of 6%.
Analysis of listings in January – typically the busiest month for new flatshare adverts – shows supply rose by 4.2% year-on-year, down from 13.8% growth in January 2025.
The slowdown comes ahead of the introduction of the Renters’ Rights Act from 1 May, with some landlords indicating plans to reduce portfolios or exit the market.
Matt Hutchinson, director at SpareRoom, said: “Landlords have been telling us of their plans to quit the market or reduce their portfolios for many months but, until now, we’ve not seen that reflected in supply, which has been trending upwards since the aftermath of the pandemic.
“Slowing room supply growth is of huge concern when rooms in flatshares are such a critical source of affordable housing.
“If the supply-demand imbalance gets any worse, UK rents – which, although stable, are already hugely inflated due to post-pandemic demand – will start to rise again. We’re concerned this may be the calm before the storm.”
