Average room rents have reached record levels in most parts of the UK, according to data from flat-sharing platform SpareRoom.
Spareroom said the rental market is showing new signs of tightening following the introduction of the first phase of Tenants’ Rights Law.
Data for the second quarter of 2026 reveals that average room rents have reached record levels in six of the UK’s nine regions, while the supply of rooms available to rent has fallen for the first time in three years.
Room rental supply decreased by 3.2% compared to the same period last year, reflecting a prolonged period of growth. Supply had previously increased by 8.7% in the second quarter of 2025, 24.2% in the second quarter of 2024, and 15% in the second quarter of 2023.
The average cost of renting a room in the UK is now £761 per month, up 0.5% year-on-year and around 7% higher than three years ago.
The South West recorded the largest annual increase in regional rents, with average room rents rising by 1.6%, while East Anglia saw the strongest growth over the past three years, with rents rising by 9.9%.
Greater London was the only area to record a year-on-year decline, with average room rents falling by 0.2% to £915 per month.
Across the UK, Northern Ireland saw the strongest annual increase in room rents, up 3.8% to an average of £580 per month. Over the past three years, rents in Northern Ireland have risen by 12%, the largest increase of any country in the UK.
Scotland recorded a 1.1% year-on-year increase to £698 a month, while rents in Wales rose 1% to £594. In England, average room rents rose 0.5% to £767.
Citywide, Norwich recorded the biggest annual increase in room rents, with prices rising by 5.1% to £619 per month. Exeter followed with an increase of 4.9%, while Liverpool saw rents rise by 4.4% to a record high of £556 per month.
Coventry also saw strong growth, with rents rising by 4.1%, while Milton Keynes saw a 1.7% increase to £686 per month.
London remained the most expensive city in the UK for flat-sharing, with average room rents reaching £979 per month. Edinburgh (£834) and Oxford (£814) were the next most expensive markets.
At the other end of the scale, Lincoln was the cheapest city for renters, with room rents averaging £510 a month, despite recording the biggest annual fall of any city at 4%. Swansea (£532) and Sheffield (£533) were also among the most affordable locations.
Although Sheffield remained one of the least expensive cities, rents matched the record first reached in Q3 2025 and were 1.4% higher than the previous year.
Matt Hutchinson, director of SpareRoom, said rising rents remained a major concern despite reforms aimed at improving conditions for tenants.
“The Tenants’ Bill of Rights will improve standards, but it is only half the job,” he said. “The next critical step is to address affordability. You cannot solve the housing crisis through regulation alone.
“Unless real action is taken to protect and expand rental supply, renters will continue to face rising rents, shrinking options, and even greater pressures in an already stretched market. Apartment-sharing is the cheapest way to rent, but data shows they are far from immune to market pressures.”
