Renting in England
Renting in South Hams
The average private rent in South Hams is £1,014 a month (Office for National Statistics, September 2026), +3.0% on a year earlier, and £452 less than the England average of £1,466. Below: rents by bedrooms, what you need to earn and have saved to move in, and the local rules worth knowing before you sign.
England · Figures for September 2026, published 21 October 2026
- Average rent
- £1,014 a month
- ONS, September 2026
- In the last year
- +3.0%
- England +4.0%
- Against England
- £452 less
- England average £1,466
- Most expensive councils
- 163rd of 294
- by average rent
What stands out in South Hams
- Rents in South Hams are rising more slowly than a year ago: 3% in the latest year, against 4.6% the year before.
- Since September 2021 the average rent here has gone from £784 to £1,014, a rise of 29.3%: less than the 34.8% rise across England.
- It has the 11th lowest average rent of the 26 councils in the South West.
- Of the 6 councils nearest to it, 5 are cheaper to rent in. The cheapest, West Devon, averages £854 a month, £160 less.
- A second bedroom adds about £184 a month to the average rent here (£738 for one bedroom, £922 for two), against £142 across England.
Average rent in South Hams
Monthly averages for private rented homes across South Hams, against England as a whole.
| Home | South Hams | England |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £738 | £1,199 |
| 2 bedrooms | £922 | £1,341 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,141 | £1,497 |
| 4 or more bedrooms | £1,633 | £2,170 |
| Home | South Hams | England |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | £854 | £1,449 |
| Terraced house | £950 | £1,443 |
| Semi-detached house | £1,106 | £1,458 |
| Detached house | £1,396 | £1,649 |
These averages include tenants who moved in years ago, whose rent hasn’t kept up with the market, so a home advertised in South Hams today will usually ask more. To judge a rent you’ve been quoted, compare it with similar homes advertised near the address. How to check a rent or look up the average rent for a South Hams postcode.
South Hams and the councils around it
If you can live a little further out, the average rent changes quickly across a council boundary.
| Council | Average rent | Against South Hams | In a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Hams | £1,014 | — | |
| Exeter | £1,318 | £304 more | |
| Plymouth | £1,008 | £6 less | |
| Teignbridge | £965 | £49 less | |
| Torbay | £924 | £90 less | |
| Mid Devon | £881 | £133 less | |
| West Devon | £854 | £160 less |
What you need to earn, and to have saved
At South Hams’s average rents. Most letting agents look for a yearly income before tax of about 30 times the monthly rent. Upfront, the law caps the holding deposit at a week’s rent and the tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent; most landlords also ask for the first month in advance.
| Home | Average rent | Income agents look for | Most deposit allowed | First month and deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £738 | £22,140 a year | £851 | £1,589 |
| 2 bedrooms | £922 | £27,660 a year | £1,063 | £1,985 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,141 | £34,230 a year | £1,316 | £2,457 |
| 4 or more bedrooms | £1,633 | £48,990 a year | £1,884 | £3,517 |
Anything else, such as fees for viewings, referencing or admin, is banned. Work out the limits for your own rent or see how much rent you can afford. On Universal Credit or Housing Benefit? Find the Local Housing Allowance rate for a South Hams postcode, which caps the help you can get with the rent.
The landlord database in South Hams
England’s new database of private landlords is opening region by region. South Hams is in the South West, where landlords can register from 15 August 2027 and must have registered by 14 November 2027, under the draft rollout. The South West dates.
Check a home in South Hams
Found a place? The free check covers its energy rating, flood risk, crime nearby and past sales, in about a minute. Add the rent to see the most you can be asked for upfront.
Questions about renting in South Hams
What is the average rent in South Hams?
£1,014 a month across all private rented homes in South Hams, according to the Office for National Statistics for September 2026. A one-bedroom home averages £738. That average includes tenants who moved in years ago, so homes advertised today usually ask more.
How much do I need to earn to rent in South Hams?
Most letting agents want a yearly income before tax of about 30 times the monthly rent. At South Hams’s average of £1,014, that is £30,420 a year between the tenants, or £22,140 for an average one-bedroom home. It is a convention, not a law, so an agent can set its own figure.
How much deposit can a South Hams landlord ask for?
No more than five weeks’ rent while the rent is under £50,000 a year, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. On South Hams’s average rent that is about £1,170, and a holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent, about £234. The deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days.
Is South Hams expensive to rent in?
The average rent in South Hams, £1,014 a month, is £452 less than the England average of £1,466. That makes it the 163rd most expensive of 294 councils. The most popular areas cost more than the council-wide figure, so compare a quoted rent with homes advertised nearby.
Are rents going up in South Hams?
The average rent in South Hams was +3.0% on a year earlier in September 2026, against +4.0% across England. A landlord can raise the rent on a periodic tenancy only once a year, using a section 13 notice.
When does the landlord database start in South Hams?
South Hams is in the South West. Under the draft rollout, landlords there can register from 15 August 2027 and must have registered every home they let by 14 November 2027. The dates are in draft regulations and could change.
Renting in other cities
Sources: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, September 2026, published 21 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.