ONS asks public to take part in surveys as UK private rents rise 3.7 per cent

The Office for National Statistics says survey responses help it produce statistics used to understand cost of living pressures, including rent and mortgage affordability trends that affect Kent households.

Average UK monthly private rent rose by 3.7 per cent to £1,393 in the 12 months to July 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics — and the ONS says the surveys it asks the public to complete are central to producing figures like these. The ONS posted a public appeal this week urging people to take part in its surveys, saying responses help it understand the cost of living and inform decisions around mortgage rates and rent prices.

The figures show the scale of housing cost pressure facing renters across the UK. Around half of adults paying rent or a mortgage told ONS researchers their payments had increased in the previous six months, and around a third reported difficulty affording those payments at all.

That’s not an abstract problem for Kent. Private rent inflation and mortgage affordability pressures bear directly on household budgets across the county, and local authorities here may draw on ONS data when planning support for renters and homeowners under financial strain.

The Price Index of Private Rents — the framework under which this rental data is published — became official statistics on 20 May 2026. Mortgage rates themselves are set by the Bank of England rather than the ONS, but the ONS data measures the housing cost pressures that rate changes create for ordinary households. Government departments, public bodies and researchers all rely on these releases to monitor affordability and housing stress at a national and regional level.

So when the ONS asks someone in Maidstone or Folkestone to fill in a survey, it’s building the evidence base that shapes those policy decisions. The agency’s public engagement appeal is a reminder that official statistics depend on ordinary people saying yes.

Key information

• Take part: Visit the ONS website to find out more about participating in its surveys
• Price Index of Private Rents data became official statistics on 20 May 2026
• Average UK private rent stood at £1,393 per month as of July 2026, a provisional estimate