THE average price to rent a residential property in Scotland has risen in all but one area of the country in the past year, new figures show.

Private sector rental statistics released by the Scottish Government show 10 out of 18 areas in Scotland recorded an increase above UK inflation of 1.5% between September 2020 and 2021.

Looking only at two-bedroom homes, which make up 49% of rental accommodation in Scotland, West Dunbartonshire showed the highest increase, with 7.1%, followed by Ayrshire with 6.8%.

Only Lothian saw a drop in the average rental price during the past year, with a fall of 2.9%.

However, the region, which includes Edinburgh, showed a cumulative rise of 41.7% in the past 10 years – the biggest increase of any part of the country.

Lothian also saw the highest average rental cost for a two-bedroom property at £942 per month, vastly more than the £693 in the rest of the country.

On average, rental prices rose by 0.6% in the past year in Scotland and 23.5% in the past decade, according to the figures.

Tenants’ rights minister Patrick Harvie reiterated the Scottish Government’s commitment to implementing rent controls by 2025.

“We are aware that many tenants have been struggling financially as a result of the pandemic and that rising rent costs will only have exacerbated the problem, which is why we have provided £39 million to support tenants struggling at this time,” he said.

“The time is right to do more to support tenants in the private rented sector as we recover from the pandemic.

“We have already committed to tackling high rents by implementing an effective national system of rent controls by the end of 2025.

“Alongside our wider work to deliver a new deal for tenants, we will provide people with more secure, stable, affordable tenancies with improved standards of accommodation and more flexibility to personalise their homes.”