Stockport has recorded the fastest rise in room rents anywhere in the UK, with tenants now paying more than those renting rooms in Manchester itself. New figures from SpareRoom show average room rents in the Greater Manchester town jumped 10.4% year-on-year to £717 a month in the third quarter of 2026.
That puts Stockport £32 a month above Manchester, where the average room rent stands at £685. The increase is more than ten times the UK average of 1%, highlighting significant differences between local rental markets.
Other towns with big rent rises
SpareRoom's analysis found that 21 towns and cities recorded annual room rent increases of at least 3%. Gloucester recorded the second-largest rise at 7.7%, taking average rents to £642. Warrington followed at 7.4%, with rents reaching £625.
Belfast saw rents increase 6.8% to £624, while Edgware recorded a 6.6% rise to £861. Other Greater Manchester commuter towns also featured among the biggest increases. Room rents rose 4% in Preston and 3.1% in Bolton.
Record high rents as supply falls
Across the UK, average monthly room rents reached a record £769 in the third quarter. Rents hit new highs in seven of the UK's nine regions, while the number of available rooms fell 4.7% year-on-year.
The figures suggest landlords and letting agents face increasingly different market conditions depending on location. In Exeter, average room rents increased 4.5% to £681. The city also recorded a 79.1% annual rise in demand for rooms. Nearby Exmouth saw demand increase by the same percentage.
Demand surges in market towns
While Stockport recorded the biggest rent increase, three market towns topped the rankings for growth in tenant demand. Chesham in Buckinghamshire saw demand rise 97.6% year-on-year, the largest increase recorded by SpareRoom.
There are now 6.5 people enquiring for every available room in the town, compared with 3.3 a year earlier. Average monthly room rents stand at £770. Kettering in Northamptonshire recorded an 87% increase in demand. The town now attracts 6.8 enquiries per available room, with average rents of £587.
Barnstaple in North Devon followed with an 82.1% rise. Demand reached seven enquiries per room, while average rents stood at £627. Other locations recording substantial increases included Redcar (+79.8%), Carshalton (+79.3%) and Teddington (+72.7%).
Fiercest competition for rooms
Bootle in Merseyside recorded the highest level of tenant competition, with 16 people enquiring for every available room. That compares with a UK average of 2.3 enquiries per room.
Carshalton recorded 11.2 enquiries per room, followed by Exmouth at 11.1 and Accrington at 8.9. The figures underline the distinction between areas experiencing the fastest growth in demand and those already facing the greatest competition for available accommodation.
Matt Hutchinson, director at SpareRoom, said: "The rental market has been rattled by landlords reacting to the Renters' Rights Act, and flatsharers are now contending with dwindling supply and record-high rents, in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
"As rents increasingly outstrip what people can afford, the way people rent is changing. Some renters are chasing value further afield enabled by flexible working, while others are living where they want to, but they're now sharing instead of renting solo.
"That's why flatsharing is no longer an inner-city phenomenon; it has spread to historic market towns, seaside communities, and just about every corner of the UK."
