Rents rise in Scotland to more than double UK average
The average private rent price has risen by 11.4% since April 2015, survey finds.
The average private rental price in Scotland rose by more than 10% over the last year, according to new figures.
April's HomeLet Rental Index recorded a 11.4% rise between April 2015 and last month.
The increase is more than double that of the average for rest of the UK (excluding Greater London), which rose 5.1% in the same period.
According to the report, the average rent in Scotland for new tenancies for the three months to March 2016 was £677 but by April this had hit £704 - a jump of 4%.
In comparison, the second-fastest increase was the North West region, which rose 1.7% in the same period, while Greater London increased by 0.5% and Northern Ireland showed the fastest decrease at 0.7%.
The average cost of a month's rent in Scotland for the three months to April 2016 is higher than all but four of the 12 UK regions surveyed.
The survey was carried out by insurance provider HomeLet, part of the Barbon Insurance Group.
Martin Totty, chief executive officer of Barbon, said the private rental sector would "continue to be characterised by regional variations".
He said: "Take, for example, the sharp increase registered in rents in Scotland in recent months - it will be fascinating to see whether this is a flash in the pan or something that may change over the longer term."