Scottish Government unveils skyrocketing rent statistics

Across the whole of Scotland, one-bedroom properties increased by 9.6 per cent in 12 months, while two-bedroom places have seen an increase of 6.2 per cent.

The highest increase was seen for three-bedroom properties, which increased by 10.7% to reach an average of £1136 per month.

Four-bedroom places and one-bedroom shared properties follow the trend with an increase of 8.3 per cent each.

READ MORE: Rent controls must be got right for our older tenants

The figures come from the Scottish Government, which on Tuesday released the annual average private sector rent from 2010 to 2024.

Ruth Gilbert, national campaign chair of Living Rent, said that "during a cost of living crisis, landlords have been increasing rents more than double the rate of inflation".

“This is draining tenants when they have nothing left to give," she added.

Surprisingly, Greater Glasgow, a zone that increased in 2023 by 22.3 per cent, saw a 2.4 per cent decrease in price for two-bed rents.

Glasgow city center have seen a decrease of 2.4 per cent (Image: Newsquest)

Lothian has seen the highest increase in Scotland for two-bed rents equivalent to a 14 per cent increase or £167 per month while Dumfries and Galloway have the lowest average monthly for a two-bedroom rent.

Since 2010, the study says that six Scottish areas are increasing above the average rate of inflation for all types and sizes of properties. This concerns Dundee and Angus, East Dunbartonshire, Fife, Forth Valley, Greater Glasgow, and Lothian.

“Despite landlords loudly protesting any form of rent controls which will hit their profits, this data clearly shows that they have been raking in the money for years,” said Gilbert. 

She declared that landlords “can not be trusted to regulate themselves".

READ MORE: Scottish Government confirms plans to cap rent increases

Alison Watson, Shelter Scotland director, also deplored these new numbers and said that “if costs continue to rise, more and more people are going to struggle to stay in their homes".

“Earlier this year, the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency. But with the cost of putting a roof over your head in the private sector still rising, and 10,110 children living in temporary accommodation, we’ve yet to see an emergency response to deal with this," added Watson.

The Scottish Green Party have called for tighter control over rent increases and a better system that would protect tenants from "skyrocketing" prices.

On Thursday, the housing Bill will be considered in Parliament for new tenants’ protection and a system of rent controls.

Maggie Chapman is a Scottish Green MSP (Image: Christian Gamauf) “These rent hikes are hugely outstripping wages and inflation and plunging tenants into totally avoidable poverty. What the numbers don’t tell us about is the huge levels of concern and anxiety these hikes are causing,"  declared Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland.

“By introducing robust rent controls that can actually bring rents down, not just keep them rising slowly, we can begin to tackle some of the exploitation that is central to the current market. We must build a system that works for tenants.”

“Rents are already far too high for a lot of people, and we need to take action that will actually reduce them rather than entrenching the unacceptable levels of child poverty and inequality that are so prevalent."

“We must ensure that this Bill is as robust as possible. It must give tenants the protection, stability and peace of mind that they need. Homes should be for living in and not for profiteering.”

The numbers published reflect the rent increase when there is a turnover of the tenant, or the property is new on the market. These numbers do not reflect rental restrictions such as the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 nor the Rent Adjudication (Temporary Modifications) (Scotland) Regulations 2024.