Which areas are offering the best returns for landlords?

Landlords are currently seeing Manchester as the most profitable area to own property as the rental yield in the North West is around 7% according to an index put together by LendInvest.

However, there are other areas around the country that are experiencing solid returns such as Coventry, Luton and the outer areas of London. These areas are seeing yields of around 6% for the period between 2010-2016.

The west of London has seen the highest capital gains on property with the returns reaching 11% due to price increase at a faster rate than other areas around the country. For those landlords who want to see a more complete return on their investment, where both rental yields and capital gains are high, the east of London sits at the top of the list with 17.8%. Sunderland, on the other hand, is experiencing the weakest returns with investments seeing a return of 3.2%.

A link was also seen between the way in which certain areas voted during the EU referendum and rental yields and capital gain. Those areas that had the highest rental yields generally voted to leave the EU while those who saw their property increase considerably voted to stay in the EU.

Manchester and Liverpool were the only two from the top 20 local authority districts for rental yield to remain in the EU while only two of the top 20 for capital gains decided to leave – Barking & Dagenham and Spelthorne.

Those areas that have revelled in the boom times of recent years have seen the biggest increase in house prices and that has resulted in the highest capital gains. Therefore, this made it understandable as to why many were happy to remain in the EU. Those areas that have seen slower price increases decided to vote for a change.

Leaving the EU, could result in property investors, especially those who have experience, being afforded more opportunities. There is a chance that house price increases could slow down and this could mean that some buyers may decide to hold off purchasing but they still have to find somewhere to live and this is music to the ears of landlords. If prices do slow down then investing in property will once again become an exciting prospect.

Since the new tax increases were introduced by the treasury, the buy-to-let market has dropped. The additional 3% surcharge on top of the basic stamp duty has turned landlords away while the cuts to tax relief for rental income and maintenance costs have also had a negative effect. The idea behind this is to help first time buyers by reducing the number of investors who are looking to purchase buy-to-let properties for investment. However, this could lead to an increase in rental costs due to the decrease in the number of rental properties.

Mark Burns

Mark Burns is a Director and Property Investment Consultant at Hopwood House. With over 10 years' experience in property investment, Mark has provided investors with a wide range of opportunities in exotic locations around the world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Propertymark backs move to commonhold

Propertymark has welcomed proposals from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to phase out the sale of new leasehold flats in England and Wales, while warning that the transition to commonhold must be carefully managed to avoid market disruption and consumer confusion. Responding to the UK Government’s consultation on “Moving to commonhold: banning…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Phasing out leasehold flats is the right thing to do

Propertymark has welcomed UK Government proposals to ban the sale of new leasehold flats and replace them with a commonhold system designed to give homeowners greater control over their properties. Responding to a consultation launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Propertymark said the reforms could help tackle many of the long-standing…
Read More
Letting Agent Talk

Deposit Disputes Are Rising – Are Baths to Blame?

Interior Designers Say Acrylic Baths Are the Hidden Culprit in Family Rentals Deposit disputes over bathroom damage are rising, and acrylic bath surfaces are the overlooked culprit. Acrylic baths are often marketed as lasting 10 to 15 years or more, yet designers say many start to look tired in busy family homes within just a…
Read More
Breaking News

Inheritance tax haul grows as more families are dragged into the tax net

Inheritance tax receipts got off to a slightly slower start in the first month of the 2026/27 tax year, but the figures still underline how rapidly the tax burden on estates continues to grow. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) collected £0.7 billion in inheritance tax in April, £65 million less than during the same month…
Read More
Breaking News

The 10 biggest homebuyer turn-offs

From overgrown gardens to nightmare neighbours, homeowners across Britain could be knocking tens of thousands of pounds off the value of their property before a buyer even makes an offer.   New insight from House Buyer Bureau reveals the most common homebuyer turn-offs that could be thwarting your chances of making a sale, and the…
Read More
Home and Living

5 trends driving London’s landscaped gardens

London gardens can add more than £205,000 in value as Chelsea tops table for prime buyers seeking outdoor space Ahead of this year’s Chelsea Flower Show, research by Enness Global has revealed that a garden can add more than £205,000 to the value of a London home, whilst Chelsea fittingly boasts the highest degree of…
Read More