The average monthly rent on a house in Northern Ireland reached £1,000 for the first time in Q4 2025, according to website PropertyPal.
Rental costs have continued to trend upward in recent years, with average rents increasing by 5.6% compared to Q4 2024.
The average monthly rent for a house was £1,001 and the average monthly rent for an apartment was £984.
This makes the average rent £995 overall.
In the sales market, activity remained steady in Q4 2025, with around 5,500 newly agreed sales and house prices increasing by 6.4% year-on-year, bringing the average house price to £235,035.
A PropertyPal spokesperson says: “Overall demand remains exceptionally strong, with estate agent enquiries from PropertyPal at multi-year highs.
“Indeed, Q4 saw the highest volume of buyer enquiries per listing for the respective quarter since peak activity levels of 2021.
“However, supply-side constraints remain a key challenge.
“While it’s encouraging that 2025 saw a 6% increase in resale listings, giving buyers more choice and contributing to overall market activity, new homes supply remains well below historic norms.
“This continues to be a critical policy concern and will constrain growth across 2026.”
And on the rental market nearing the £1,000 threshold, the spokesperson adds: “Rising rents have been a defining feature of the housing market in recent years, and Q4 was no exception.
“While supply remained flat in the final quarter, the overall rental stock for 2025 increased by 11% year-on-year, a much-needed improvement given the pressures in the market.
“Looking ahead, 2026 will see a major boost to rental supply with the launch of Loftlines, the first large-scale build-to-rent scheme in Belfast that will deliver almost 800 new homes to the city of which over 600 will support the private rented sector.
“On the demand side, we’re seeing some signs of moderation in rent growth, but pressure to secure the property remains high.
“On average there were 52 enquiries per rental listing in Q4, up 13% on last year and nearly 60% above long-term norms.
“We expect rents to continue rising in 2026, likely in the 4% to 5% range, as structural supply imbalances continue to dominate market conditions,” he adds.