Hull is the happiest place to rent in the UK

Leading innovative lettings platform, Howsy, has looked at where across the UK offers the best mix of happiness and affordable rental costs.

Howsy analysed data from the ONS on the wellbeing score of each area of the UK before dividing this by the cost of renting in each area to see where offered the lowest rental cost for every positive point of wellbeing.

Top of the table was Kingston upon Hull, with a wellbeing score of 7.59 and an average monthly rental cost of £421 a month, resulting in a rent to happiness cost of £55.47.

Blaenau Gwent was the second happiest place to rent with the most affordable price tag at £56.57 in monthly rent for every positive wellbeing point scored.

Wales also accounted for the third, fourth and fifth happiest locations to rent with Rhondda Cynon Taf, Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire scoring £57.22, £57.86 and £58.21 respectively.

Bolsover came sixth, with Powys accounting for the fifth Welsh entry in the top ten and Dumfries and Galloway ranking number eight as the first Scottish entry.

North East Lincolnshire completes the top 10 with a score of £61.42 in rental costs for every positive wellbeing point scored.

Founder and CEO of Howsy, Calum Brannan, commented: 

“Having a safe, suitable roof over our head is one of the key things we all need in life and without this, wellbeing and happiness can suffer.

With more of us relying on the lettings sector to provide this roof it’s become a crowded place, and the theme of happiness isn’t one we often associate with renting due to inadequate stock levels, poor customer service, a clunky outdated process and high costs.

While we can’t keep rents from an increasing, we can definitely make the rental space a happier one and technology is helping us to address these traditional sticking points to provide a better, happier, more stress-free experience.”

Top 10 Locations – by Happiness to Rent Ratio
 
Location
Price Per Happiness Point
Happiness Rating
Average Rent
Kingston upon Hull
£55.47
7.59
£421
Blaenau Gwent
£56.57
7.30
£413
Rhondda Cynon Taf
£57.22
7.34
£420
Neath Port Talbot
£57.86
7.53
£436
Carmarthenshire
£58.21
7.67
£447
Bolsover
£59.23
8.07
£478
Powys
£60.34
7.43
£448
Dumfries and Galloway
£61.01
7.80
£476
Gwynedd
£61.20
7.78
£476
North East Lincolnshire
£61.42
7.49
£460

 

Properganda PR

National and local media coverage for property businesses. Journo quotes delivered in minutes.

You May Also Enjoy

Home and Living

Home longevity spas tipped to become the next must-have in prime property

Longevity expert has noticed a huge influx in home spas from investors Country and Townhouse reported that wellness is expected in luxury homes Ralph Montague discusses core shifts he’s seen over the past two years Once, cinema rooms, wine cellars and home gyms were considered luxury home features. Now, the next major trend in prime…
Read More
Breaking News

Nationwide House Price Index for April 2026 – Thoughts from the Industry

House prices increased by 0.4% between March 2026 and April 2026. This was a weaker rate of monthly growth compared to the previous month (0.9%). Annual growth sat at 3% in April 2026, with this annual rate of growth increasing from 2.2% versus March 2026. The average UK house price now stands at £278,889.  …
Read More
Breaking News

House price growth remained resilient in April

UK annual house price growth picked up to 3.0% in April, from 2.2% in March House prices were up 0.4% month on month Headlines Apr-26 Mar-26 Monthly Index* 554.8 552.7 Monthly Change* 0.4% 0.9% Annual Change 3.0% 2.2% Average Price (not seasonally adjusted) £278,880 £277,186 * Seasonally adjusted figure (note that monthly % changes are…
Read More
Breaking News

Homeowners shift mortgage strategy amid economic uncertainty

Middle East conflict prompts Brits to rethink housing plans 27 per cent of homeowners report overpaying on their mortgage to get ahead of potential future interest rate rises 20 per cent of those remortgaging are looking to lock in a new rate as soon as possible in case of future volatility Barclays Mortgage data shows…
Read More
Breaking News

Today is the day your rights change: New Renters’ Rights rules now in force for tenants across England

Today marks a major change for tenants across England as the first phase of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 comes into force, significantly strengthening rights and changing how renting works in practice. From today, the long-standing system of Section 21 ‘no-fault’ evictions ends, meaning tenants can no longer be removed without a specific legal reason.…
Read More
Home and Living

Mould Tops List of Bathroom Red Flags For Homebuyers

Mould, Space & Water Pressure: 3 Bathroom Deal-breakers Affecting House Sales This Spring   Almost 9 in 10 (88%) Brits say at least one bathroom issue would put them off making an offer on a house.   Mould (60%), lack of space (44%), and water pressure (37%) are the top three deal-breakers, with concern intensifying…
Read More