Rent rises push average cost of two bedroom property in Scotland to £668 a month but it is £972 in Lothian and £780 in Greater Glasgow.

The cost of renting a property in Scotland is soaring (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Private rentals for two-bedroom homes have risen by almost a quarter in the past nine years, according to new figures published by the Scottish Government.

In the Lothian region, prices have jumped 46.3% from an average of £655 to £972 a month.

Across Scotland, the average now stands at £668, an increase of 24.6% on 2010.

The report looked at the cost of two-bedroom homes "because these are the most prevalent size of property in the private-rented sector".

It found the average amount paid by private renters for a two-bedroom property in Scotland rose by 2.4% between 2018 and 2019 - with prices in the Greater Glasgow area up by 5.3%.

Over the nine-year period, the average cost in Greater Glasgow has increased by 38.3% to £780.

Even a one bedroom property in Scotland will now set you back £519 a month on average

It costs more than £1300 a month on average to rent a three-bedroom property in Lothian (Image: Scottish Government)

Communities spokeswoman Pauline McNeill said: "With so many low-income families and people living in privately rented homes, these hikes in rent represent a genuine danger of increasing the levels of poverty and deprivation in our communities.

"It's time for the SNP to admit that rent pressure zones are not fit for purpose.

"These statistics show that we need meaningful intervention in the private rented sector to stop inflation-busting rent increases causing uncertainty and risking poverty for tenants."

source: dailyrecord