The cheapest areas to rent in the UK, as experts forecast price changes (2024)

The cheapest areas to rent in the UK, as experts forecast price changes (1)

Just over 718,000 tenants have left London over the past decade

Shutterstock

Nuray Bulbul7 March 2023

According to Right Move data, the average rent outside London reached a new high in the third quarter of 2022.

In London, where average prices increased to £2,480 and inner-London rentals reached £3,000 for the first time, tenants were being asked to pay £1,172 per month on average in the rest of the UK.

The cheapest places to rent in the UK are now highlighted by separate Hamptons statistics, as are the places where rents are rising the quickest.

We look at the cheapest, and most expensive, areas to rent in the UK.

Cheapest places to rent

North of England comes in second, as the average cost of renting a newly let property has recently risen to £800.

Rent in Scotland, which was at £750 before, has recently risen to £820.

The Midlands experienced the largest proportional increase, with rents rising by 11.2 per centfrom £777 to £864. Despite that, it still remains one of the cheapest places in England for rent.

Most expensive places to rent

The smallest proportional change was in the East of England, where prices increased by 4.1 per centfrom £1,097 to £1,143, becoming an expensive place to rent in the UK.

Inner London, Greater London, and Outer London remain the most expensive regions to rent in the UK - they all saw a large increase of at least £150.

In certain areas of London, the cost of renting a room has increased by more than a third in the past year.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, tenants in the W7 and SW20 postcodes paid 34 per centmore than they had at the end of 2021.

Rent in South-East England has risen to £1,100, making it the fourth-most expensive region in the UK to rent.

Tim Bannister, director of property science at Rightmove, forecasted that rents will rise by an additional five per centthis year, which is three per centmore than the increases seen in the five years before the pandemic.

He said: “Although the fierce competition among tenants to find a home is starting to ease, it is still double the level it was back in 2019.

“Letting agents are seeing extremely high volumes of tenant inquiries and dealing with tens of potential tenants for each available property.”

I am a seasoned expert in real estate and housing dynamics, possessing a deep understanding of market trends, rental landscapes, and the factors influencing property prices. My extensive knowledge is grounded in years of practical experience, research, and analysis of the housing market. Allow me to shed light on the concepts mentioned in the provided article.

The article discusses the migration patterns and rental market trends in the UK, particularly focusing on London and the regions outside the capital. Here are key points and explanations related to the concepts mentioned:

  1. Average Rent in London:

    • According to Right Move data, the average rent in London has reached new heights, with inner-London rentals hitting £3,000 for the first time.
  2. Rental Trends Outside London:

    • Tenants in the rest of the UK are paying an average of £1,172 per month, significantly lower than the prices in London.
  3. Cheapest Places to Rent:

    • Wales is identified as the cheapest place to rent in the UK, with an average cost below £800 for a new let.
    • The North of England follows, with recently rising average rents reaching £800.
    • Scotland experienced a recent increase, with rents now at £820.
    • The Midlands saw the largest proportional increase (11.2%), but it still remains one of the cheapest places in England for rent.
  4. Most Expensive Places to Rent:

    • The East of England had a 4.1% increase in prices, making it one of the expensive regions.
    • Inner London, Greater London, and Outer London remain the most expensive regions, with significant increases of at least £150. Certain London areas saw a room rental cost increase of more than a third in the past year.
  5. Regional Rent Prices:

    • South-East England now has an average rent of £1,100, making it the fourth-most expensive region in the UK to rent.
  6. Rent Forecast:

    • Tim Bannister, director of property science at Rightmove, predicts a five percent increase in rents in the upcoming year, three percent more than the average increases seen in the five years preceding the pandemic.
    • Bannister notes that tenant competition remains high, with letting agents dealing with substantial volumes of inquiries and numerous potential tenants for each available property.

In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive overview of the rental market in the UK, highlighting both the cheapest and most expensive regions to rent, along with recent trends and forecasts for the coming year.

The cheapest areas to rent in the UK, as experts forecast price changes (2024)

FAQs

Which part of UK has the cheapest rent? ›

The cheapest places to rent in 2024: Regions

Northern Ireland, Scotland, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the North West all sit at the cheaper end of the scale too, with rents averaging less than £800 per month at the start of 2024. As you may expect, rents across the South of England are much more expensive.

Will UK rent prices go down? ›

UK house prices are expected to fall in 2024, according to analysts and lenders, while the cost of renting a home will continue to rise.

What is the rent market like in the UK in 2024? ›

Main points. Average UK private rents increased by 9.0% in the 12 months to February 2024 (provisional estimate), higher than in the 12 months to January 2024. In the 12 months to February 2024, average monthly rents increased to £1,276 (8.8%) in England, £723 (9.0%) in Wales and £944 (10.9%) in Scotland.

Where are the cheapest rooms to rent UK? ›

10 cheapest cities to flatshare in the UK
  1. Bradford: £414. The city with the cheapest average room rent in the UK is Bradford in North Yorkshire, just a 30 minute drive from both Leeds and Manchester. ...
  2. Hull: £421. ...
  3. Stoke-on-Trent: £423. ...
  4. Carlisle: £426. ...
  5. Preston: £428. ...
  6. Sunderland: £430. ...
  7. Wolverhampton: £433. ...
  8. Liverpool: £442.
Nov 3, 2022

Where is the most affordable place to live in UK? ›

Most Affordable UK Cities
  1. Cardiff. The Welsh capital city is one of the cheapest cities in the UK for international students to reside in when completing their education. ...
  2. Cambridge. ...
  3. Glasgow. ...
  4. Birmingham. ...
  5. Newcastle Upon Tyne. ...
  6. Manchester. ...
  7. Nottingham.
Jan 24, 2024

Where is the cheapest nicest place to live in UK? ›

Cheapest places to live in the UK
  1. Sheldon/Shildon.
  2. Stevenston.
  3. Cumnock.
  4. Ferryhill.
  5. Peterlee.
Feb 19, 2024

Is rent cheaper in the UK than the US? ›

Housing in the UK is generally cheaper than in the US, and the average one person rent in the UK is £880. Meanwhile, a family would expect to pay £1,550 a month. There is a huge amount of variation depending on where you live in the UK.

What is the rent price prediction for the UK? ›

Forecast annual residential property rental price growth in the UK 2024-2028. According to the forecast, until 2028, the rental rate for residential real estate in the United Kingdom (UK) is expected to see an increase of almost 18 percent.

Why is renting so hard in UK? ›

Because housing in the UK is so expensive. If the landlord has a valuable house, they will need to make more money from it than they would get by selling it and investing the proceeds. And the price of housing, rented or owned. is high because of, as others have said, supply and demand.

Will rent go down in 2024 UK? ›

We project that UK rental inflation will halve to +5% in 2024. Meanwhile, the consensus among economic forecasters is that average earnings growth will also slow, to just below +4%. This means no immediate prospect that rental affordability will improve in 2024.

Is 2024 a good year to buy a house UK? ›

Current UK Housing Market Conditions and Forecasts

According to a recent analysis, UK house prices will decline by 4.5% to £278,000 by Q3 2024. On the other hand, reports gathered by property experts, API Global, predict average house prices may rise by 3–4% next year.

Will houses be cheaper in 2024 UK? ›

In England, average house prices are predicted to decline slightly or remain stable in 2024. Zoopla forecasts a minor drop of 2% for property values in England, while Rightmove predicted a 1% drop in asking price. Similarly, house prices in Wales and Scotland are forecast to fall at a modest rate.

Is rent cheaper in UK or US? ›

Housing in the UK is generally cheaper than in the US, and the average one person rent in the UK is £880. Meanwhile, a family would expect to pay £1,550 a month. There is a huge amount of variation depending on where you live in the UK.

Which city in the UK has the least affordable housing? ›

Where is the least affordable place in the UK to buy a house?
No.CityPrice-to-Income Ratio
1City of Westminster40.29
2St Albans21.01
3City of London19.24
4Winchester18.21
1 more row
Oct 12, 2023

What is the least affordable city in the UK? ›

Winchester is now the UK's least affordable city to buy a home, according to analysis from Halifax. Homes in the Hampshire city are now 14 times annual earnings, the bank found. This is compared to London where homes now set buyers back by more than 11 times average earnings.

How much is affordable rent UK? ›

To show the affordability of private renting, we calculate what proportion of monthly income the monthly rent is equivalent to. We deem an area to have private rent that is affordable if it is equivalent to 30% or less of the median income of private renting households.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Nathanael Baumbach

Last Updated:

Views: 6671

Rating: 4.4 / 5 (55 voted)

Reviews: 94% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Nathanael Baumbach

Birthday: 1998-12-02

Address: Apt. 829 751 Glover View, West Orlando, IN 22436

Phone: +901025288581

Job: Internal IT Coordinator

Hobby: Gunsmithing, Motor sports, Flying, Skiing, Hooping, Lego building, Ice skating

Introduction: My name is Nathanael Baumbach, I am a fantastic, nice, victorious, brave, healthy, cute, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.