Renters across Berkshire are paying vastly different prices depending on where they live, with costs rising much faster in some areas than others.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal average private rental prices across all six Berkshire council areas for September 2026.
West Berkshire recorded the most striking annual increase, with rents climbing by 6.2 per cent, considerably above the 3.5 per cent rise recorded across the South East.
At the other end of the scale, average rents in Wokingham and Windsor and Maidenhead were broadly unchanged over the year.
Here is how each Berkshire area compares, ranked by annual rent growth.
1. West Berkshire: £1,355 per month
West Berkshire saw the largest increase of the six areas, with private rents rising by 6.2 per cent in the year to September.
The average monthly rent increased from £1,277 in September 2025 to £1,355 in September 2026, a difference of £78 a month.
That works out at an additional £936 a year if the monthly difference were maintained for 12 months.
The increase was also well above the South East average of 3.5 per cent.
2. Bracknell Forest: £1,481 per month
Bracknell Forest recorded the second-highest percentage increase among the Berkshire areas covered.
Average private rents reached £1,481 per month, up 2.4 per cent from £1,446 a year previously.
That represents a £35 monthly increase, or £420 over 12 months at the same difference.
3. Slough: £1,567 per month
Renters in Slough were paying an average of £1,567 per month in September.
That was 2.3 per cent higher than the £1,531 average recorded in September 2025.
The £36 monthly difference would equate to £432 across a year.
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4. Reading: £1,582 per month
Reading remains one of Berkshire's more expensive places to rent, although prices have increased at a slower rate than in West Berkshire.
Average private rent stood at £1,582 per month in September, compared with £1,562 the previous year.
That represents an annual increase of 1.3 per cent, below the 3.5 per cent rise recorded across the South East.
5. Wokingham: £1,469 per month
Average private rents in Wokingham stood at £1,469 per month in September 2026.
Unlike several other Berkshire areas, the Office for National Statistics described rents in Wokingham as broadly unchanged compared with the previous year.
That means rental growth was also below the 3.5 per cent increase recorded across the South East.
6. Windsor and Maidenhead: £1,801 per month
Although rents were broadly unchanged over the year, Windsor and Maidenhead had the highest average monthly rent among the six Berkshire areas, at £1,801.
That is £446 a month more than the average £1,355 rent recorded in West Berkshire, despite West Berkshire experiencing much faster annual growth.
As with Wokingham, the Office for National Statistics described Windsor and Maidenhead's average rent as broadly unchanged over the year to September 2026.
The figures show a sizeable divide across Berkshire, both in how much tenants are paying and how quickly those costs are changing.
The Office for National Statistics cautions that local rental estimates are based on fewer properties than national figures, meaning short-term movements can be more variable.
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