The average salary needed to rent a typical home in London has fallen by 17% year-on-year, according to the latest Rental Price and Average Salary Tracker from Propertymark.
The trade body’s analysis found that the representative annual salary required to rent an average-priced home in the capital fell from £86,250 in June 2025 to £71,550 in June 2026.
The North West also recorded a substantial improvement in affordability, with the typical salary required falling 17.5% year-on-year from £40,350 to £33,300.
Scotland experienced the largest monthly rental decline among the reported regions, with average rents falling from £1,257 to £1,186 between May and June, a fall of 5.7%, while the salary required to secure a home there remained broadly stable, edging up 1% year-on-year to £35,580.
Regional rental trends remained mixed. London, the North West and the South East recorded monthly rent increases of 3.4%, 2.1% and 1.7% respectively, while Wales and the West Midlands saw rents fall by 0.4%. In Yorkshire and Humberside, the decline was 1%.
Across the UK, the average monthly rent stood at £1,500 in June, up 2.3%, while the representative annual salary needed to rent an average-priced home was £45,000.
Kim Lidbury, ARLA Propertymark president, said: “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.
“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.”
Lidbury added that increasing the supply of privately rented homes would be essential to improve tenant choice and help moderate rental costs over time.
