Bristol · South West
Average rent in Bristol (2026)
Persistently one of the tightest rental markets outside London, squeezed between harbourside regeneration and demand from the city's tech and aerospace employers.
That is £348 per week, based on 100 live listings. Most rents fall between £1,049 and £2,274 per month; the median is £1,287.
How much is rent in Bristol?
In the current sample, one-bedroom homes average £1,178, two-bedroom homes average £1,578, three-bedroom homes average £1,971 and homes with four or more bedrooms average £2,870 per month. Sizes with fewer than three live listings are left out rather than shown on thin evidence, so the table below only quotes figures the sample can support.
| Home size | Average rent | Listing range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,178 pcm | £906 to £1,798 | 32 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,578 pcm | £1,200 to £2,500 | 29 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,971 pcm | £1,798 to £2,249 | 11 |
| 4+ bedrooms | £2,870 pcm | £2,600 to £3,380 | 8 |
Rent prices in Bristol: the spread
Flats currently average £1,379 per month across 81 listings, while houses average £2,051 across 19. Flats make up 81% of the sample.
The cheapest tenth of listings sit below £1,049 per month and the dearest tenth above £2,274. The single cheapest live listing is £793 and the dearest £3,380, which is why the average is a starting point for judging your own rent, not a verdict on it.
Is Bristol a landlord's market right now?
- Market rating
- Balanced market
- Average time to let
- 82 days
- Homes listed for rent
- 839
Supply and demand are roughly in step, so asking rents are a reasonable guide to the market. There is still room to negotiate, especially on homes that have been listed for a while, and any rent increase must still sit at or below the open-market rate to survive a challenge.
The five-year backdrop
House prices in BS1, the postcode district at the heart of Bristol, have fallen 11.6% over the five years to Jul 2026. Property values move rents indirectly: sustained rises tend to feed landlord expectations at the next rent review, while flat or falling values often foreshadow softer asking rents. Treat this as backdrop, not as proof for or against any individual increase.
| Year | Average value | Annual change |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2021 | £334,055 | -1.3% |
| Jul 2022 | £282,943 | -15.3% |
| Jul 2023 | £296,926 | +4.9% |
| Jul 2024 | £319,500 | +7.6% |
| Jul 2025 | £333,816 | +4.5% |
| Jul 2026 | £295,376 | -11.5% |
Is your rent increase fair?
Averages for Bristol are the backdrop; your case turns on your own postcode and your own notice. Check the proposed figure against live market data for your street, then test the notice itself against the legal rules. Both checks are free.
Bristol rent FAQs
What is the average rent in Bristol?
The average asking rent in Bristol is £1,507 per month (£348 per week), based on 100 live listings gathered from Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket. Most listings fall between £1,049 and £2,274 per month. These are advertised rents, so what tenants actually agree to pay is often a little lower.
How much is rent for a one-bedroom home in Bristol?
Live listings for one-bedroom homes in Bristol currently average £1,178 per month, ranging from £906 to £1,798 across 32 listings. Condition, exact location and what is included in the rent (parking, bills, appliances) all move an individual home above or below that figure.
Is Bristol a landlord's market or a tenant's market?
PropertyData currently rates Bristol as a balanced market. Rental listings currently take an average of 82 days to let. Supply and demand are roughly in step, so asking rents are a reasonable guide to the market. There is still room to negotiate, especially on homes that have been listed for a while, and any rent increase must still sit at or below the open-market rate to survive a challenge.
Can my landlord charge more than the average rent in Bristol?
A landlord can advertise a new tenancy at any figure. Mid-tenancy is different: since 1 May 2026, rent on an assured periodic tenancy in England can only rise through a Section 13 notice on Form 4A, at most once a year, with at least two months' notice. The legal ceiling is the open-market rent, which is what similar homes in Bristol actually let for. If the proposed figure is above that, you can challenge it at the First-tier Tribunal for £47, and the tribunal cannot set a rent higher than the figure your landlord proposed.
How do I challenge a rent increase in Bristol?
Start by checking the notice itself: RentSOS tests it against the legal rules for free in about two minutes, and compares the proposed figure with live market data for your postcode rather than the Bristol average alone. If the notice is invalid you are not required to pay the new rent. If it is valid but above market, you can apply to the First-tier Tribunal on Form MR1 before the increase date, and keep paying your current rent in full while the challenge runs.
Average rent in nearby towns
About these figures
Figures on this page are asking rents for live lettings listings, gathered by PropertyData from Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket, sampled around the town centre. The page refreshes at most every 24 hours, averages are recalculated from the individual listings each time, and the same property advertised on more than one portal may be counted more than once. Asking rents are the start of a negotiation, not proof of what tenants actually pay.