RSL Rents: Average Weekly Social Housing Rents in the UK

The Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) dataset contains average weekly rents for self-contained units managed by larger Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in the UK. Data is collected by the Tenant Services Authority (TSA) and focuses on general needs stock, covering areas like dwelling stock, vacants, and Decent Homes. The dataset was last updated on 2026-07-08 by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Use Cases

• Tracking trends in social housing affordability based on average weekly rents.
• Analyzing the impact of policy changes on rental costs for general needs stock.
• Benchmarking rental performance of larger Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

Strengths

• Data is collected via a formal regulatory return (RSR) from Registered Social Landlords.
• Coverage threshold increased from 250 to 1,000 units/bedspaces from 2007, focusing on larger providers.
• Averages are calculated specifically for self-contained units, providing a consistent measure.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Data may reflect temporal bias inherent to the RSR collection methodology and threshold changes.

Provenance

Source

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government via the Tenant Services Authority (TSA).

Collection Method

Regulatory and Statistical Return (RSR) survey completed by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-08 13:32:58.840125; freshness should be verified.

Geography

United Kingdom (implied by platform and organization).