Back to school for buy-to-let: Universities bring the UK’s highest rental yields
Research by lettings platform, Howsy, has found that almost all of the UK’s top 20 best postcodes for buy-to-let rental yields are located within close proximity to a university campus.
Using statistics from PropertyData, Howsy looked at the best buy-to-let postcodes based on 12 month’s rent divided by the average property price in the area, ranking each postcode from the highest yield available to buy-to-let landlords.
The research shows that 17 out of the top 20 buy-to-let postcodes in the UK are within easy reach of a university campus.
Bradford’s BD1 is the best university investment option in the UK. Covering Bradford city centre, it is just a short walk from the University of Bradford and with the average house price in the area costing £54,938 and an average monthly rent of £468, buy-to-let landlords can secure yields of 10.2%.
Sunderland’s SR1 is the next best university postcode for property investment with yields of 9.4%, followed by Liverpool’s L7 close by to both the University of Liverpool and the Royal Liverpool University Hospital with the postcode home tom yields of 9.3%.
The TS1 postcode close to Middlesbrough train station and Teeside University is home to yields of 9.2% and L6 also around the Royal Liverpool University Hospital is also home to yields above 9% (9.1%), with L1 close to the University of Liverpool close behind at 8.7%.
Other towns to feature with some of the highest yields for buy-to-let postcodes are Grimsby (DN31), Edinburgh (EH8), Pontypridd (CF37), Glasgow (PA3, G21, G52 & G14), Manchester (M14), Newcastle (NE6), Leeds (LS6) and Nottingham (NG1).
Founder and CEO of Howsy, Calum Brannan, commented:
“It’s no coincidence that the vast majority of postcodes with the highest rental yields are found within a stone’s throw of a university campus, and for a safe bet on your investment, these are the places to look when buying.
While students aren’t always the ideal tenants, they bring consistent demand via an annual flow of new arrivals, the void periods are generally much shorter, and the supply-demand imbalance puts the landlord in control when choosing a tenant.
As a result, these hot pockets of buy-to-let demand offer landlords an investment option that is almost certain to provide a healthy return despite slower market conditions and uncertain times in the buy-to-let market. Couple this with Howsy’s 24/7 customer service that seems to resonate well with student tenants and their nocturnal lifestyle and you’re onto a winner.”
|
The top 20 UK postcodes for the highest buy-to-let yields
|
|||||
|
Location
|
Postcode District
|
Average House Price
|
Average Rent (per month)
|
Average Rental Yield (%) *
|
University Campus
|
|
Sandwich, Kent
|
CT13
|
£388,310
|
£5,893
|
18.2%
|
N/A
|
|
Bradford
|
BD1
|
£54,938
|
£468
|
10.2%
|
University of Bradford
|
|
Greenock, Renfrewshire
|
PA15
|
£48,609
|
£394
|
9.7%
|
N/A
|
|
Sunderland
|
SR1
|
£63,320
|
£498
|
9.4%
|
University of Sunderland city campus
|
|
Liverpool
|
L7
|
£95,117
|
£737
|
9.3%
|
University of Liverpool & The Royal Liverpool University Hospital
|
|
Middlesbrough
|
TS1
|
£57,452
|
£442
|
9.2%
|
Teeside University
|
|
Liverpool
|
L6
|
£88,963
|
£672
|
9.1%
|
University of Liverpool & The Royal Liverpool University Hospital
|
|
Liverpool
|
L1
|
£99,908
|
£728
|
8.7%
|
University of Liverpool
|
|
Grimsby
|
DN31
|
£63,696
|
£442
|
8.3%
|
University of Grimsby
|
|
Edinburgh
|
EH8
|
£226,068
|
£1,556
|
8.3%
|
The University of Edinburgh
|
|
Pontypridd
|
CF37
|
£114,784
|
£776
|
8.1%
|
University of South Wales – Treforest Campus
|
|
Paisley
|
PA3
|
£64,074
|
£433
|
8.1%
|
University of the West of Scotland – Paisley campus
|
|
Glasgow
|
G21
|
£75,733
|
£511
|
8.1%
|
Glasgow Caledonian University – Glasgow School of Art
|
|
Manchester
|
M14
|
£176,901
|
£1,170
|
7.9%
|
The University of Manchester & Manchester Royal Infirmary
|
|
Falkirk
|
FK3
|
£71,233
|
£468
|
7.9%
|
N/A
|
|
Newcastle
|
NE6
|
£122,533
|
£797
|
7.8%
|
Newcastle University & Northumbria University
|
|
Leeds
|
LS6
|
£200,126
|
£1,300
|
7.8%
|
Leeds University & Leeds Arts University
|
|
Nottingham
|
NG1
|
£133,524
|
£849
|
7.6%
|
Nottingham Trent University
|
|
Glasgow
|
G52
|
£89,809
|
£568
|
7.6%
|
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital & Glasgow Caledonian University
|
|
Glasgow
|
G14
|
£92,683
|
£576
|
7.5%
|
Queen Elizabeth University Hospital & Glasgow Caledonian University
|
|
*Average rental yield based on monthly rent multiplied by 12 and then divided by the average house price
|
|||||
|
Source: https://propertydata.co.uk/
|
|||||
You May Also Enjoy
Mould and damp – what you need to know ahead of winter
Rental price and average salary tracker – September 2025
The cities where buying beats renting – with just a 5% deposit
Rightmove’s Weekly Mortgage Rates Tracker
Data and commentary from Rightmove on stamp duty reforms
