Rightmove’s October 2025 rental report said rent represented 44% of the average wage, compared with 40% five years earlier. This archive article was reviewed on 16 October 2026. The comparison is a dated market indicator, not a statement that every renting household spends that share of its income.
Understand the comparison
The report concerns advertised rents and a comparison with average wages. It should not be relabelled as the proportion of take-home household income paid by all tenants. A household may have more than one earner, different working patterns or other income, while an existing tenancy may have a different rent from a newly advertised property.
That distinction does not make the affordability question unimportant. It means the question needs to be answered with figures that describe the actual household. Keep the reporting date attached whenever quoting the 44% figure, rather than presenting it as a live measure.
Calculate the costs that matter to you
Begin with the rent actually requested and the income reliably available. Then list bills, travel, food, childcare where relevant and existing commitments. Ask which costs are included in the rent and which require separate payments. An apparently cheaper home may involve a different journey or additional bills.
Allow room for irregular expenses instead of treating every unallocated pound as spare. If income varies, compare more than one realistic month. This is a planning exercise rather than a lender’s assessment or a prediction about future earnings.
Use the headline to ask better questions
For landlords, an affordability discussion should be clear, consistent and handled with appropriate care for private information. A national percentage alone is not a sound basis for deciding whether a particular applicant can sustain a tenancy.
For tenants, seek advice early if the real budget does not balance. Explain the actual payments, dates and circumstances to the adviser rather than relying on a market average. The archive headline is useful evidence of the debate at the time; the practical decision requires current, household-specific information.