The Rettie Research Briefing for October 2025 has revealed that the average advertised rent for private housing in Scotland currently stands at £1,250 a month — caused by diminishing rental supply and “political intervention.”
Rettie said average rent has grown at a compounded annual rate of 9.4% in Scotland.
“The average advertised rent in Scotland rose sharply following the Covid-19 pandemic and currently stands at £1,250 pcm as of Q2 2025, which is the highest on record,” said Rettie.
“Over the last three years, the average rent has grown at a compounded annual rate of 9.4% nationally, which is more than double the ten-year rate.
“The recent growth reflects the diminishing rental supply and persistent demand, particularly among students and young adults.
“However, it has also been caused by political intervention.”
Meanwhile, Rettie said the housing sales market in Scotland has experienced moderate price growth at 3% in the year to date up to August.
“On a 12-month rolling basis, the average house price in Glasgow has continued to outpace Scotland’s main cities, growing by over 5% to nearly £218,000,” said Rettie.
“Edinburgh and Dundee have both grown by c.1%, while the average price in Aberdeen has continued to decline (down 1.2%).
“However, the average house price in Edinburgh (c.£338,000) continues to surpass other areas.
“In 2025, (Jan-Aug) the number of house sales has risen by 5.5% YOY as the market continues to recover from the slump over 2022-23.”
Rettie Director of Research & Strategy John Boyle said: “As we forecast at the start of 2025, the Scottish housing market has moved at a steady pace this year, with only modest uplifts in the key market metrics.
“The market remains in a delicate condition given that interest rates and mortgage rates remain high in a recent historical context and economic growth is limited.
“The new build sales market has also shown some improvement but is well down on pre-2022 levels.
“The rental market has cooled after substantial growth in rents and the increase in rental availability is a positive, but we are yet to see the full impacts of the new Housing Bill.”