Where are the most and least affordable areas in the UK to rent?

With rents reaching unprecedented heights across the UK in the third quarter of 2023, new data from flatshare site, SpareRoom, reveals where the most and least affordable areas to rent in the UK are.

Related topics:  Finance,  Tenants,  Rent
Property | Reporter
9th November 2023
Rent Up 551
"With rents reaching yet another record high across the UK, it’s clear that the rental crisis isn’t loosening its grip any time soon"
- Matt Hutchinson - SpareRoom

According to the latest figures from SpareRoom, room rents rose by 16% year on year from Q3 2022, with the average UK monthly room rent reaching £721 – a new record for the rental crisis.

London remains the most expensive place to rent, with average room rents reaching new highs of £989 in Q3 2023, and there is now not a single postcode with an average monthly room rent under £750.

Outside the capital, the most expensive place to rent in Q3 2023 was Edinburgh, with average monthly room rents of £896 – beating the London suburbs of Kingston Upon Thames (£890), Twickenham (£874) and Barnet (£842) for the first time. Conversely, the cheapest areas to rent in the UK were South Shields (£442), Burnley (£446) and Barnsley (£456).

Most expensive   Least expensive  
Town/City Average monthly room rent Q3 2023 Town/City Average monthly room rent Q3 2023
Edinburgh £896 South Shields £442
Kingston upon Thames £890 Burnley £446
Twickenham £874 Barnsley £456
Barnet £842 Huddersfield £459
Croydon £802 Grimsby £462
Harrow £796 Bradford £462
Southall £786 Sunderland £465
Bromley £786 Middlesbrough £473
Enfield £780 Carlisle £473
Ilford £779 Stockton-on-Tees £475

Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom director, comments: “With rents reaching yet another record high across the UK, it’s clear that the rental crisis isn’t loosening its grip any time soon.

Sharp rises in areas that have historically been deemed more ‘affordable’, due to increased demand as renters seek cheaper housing, mean the supply of affordable accommodation is shrinking even further.

Unless the government takes urgent action the rental crisis will spiral out of control. There needs to be a real commitment to act fast to ease the burden on renters and make housing genuinely affordable.”

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