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of happiness isn’t one we often associate with renting due to inadequate stock levels, poor customer service, a clunky outdated process and high costs.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

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/1/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Latest Weil European Distress Index (WEDI) points to a materially more fragile outlook  Europe’s corporate distress picture appeared to stabilise on the surface in Q4 2025, but the latest Weil European Distress Index (WEDI) points to a materially more fragile outlook moving into 2026.…
Read More
Breaking News

South East sees most sellers relisting

New research from Property DriveBuy reveals that sellers who are re-entering the market are reducing their asking price by an average of £5,300 to try and snag a buyer, but in London this reduction climbs as high as £27,000, while the South East is the region where most sellers are relisting this year having failed…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Average rents rise by 2% in 2025, predicted to rise by further 2% in 2026

The average advertised rent of homes outside of London fell in Q4 2025 by 1.1% (-£15), dropping to £1,370 per calendar month. It’s only the second time in five years that quarterly rents have fallen: Across the whole of 2025, average advertised rents rose by 2.2% compared to 2024 As the market settles into a…
Read More
Breaking News

Landlord Demographics Remain Broadly Unchanged

Propertymark analyses the latest figures from the English Private Landlord Survey 2024, published alongside headline findings from the English Housing Survey 2024–25, showing that the profile of private landlords in England has remained remarkably consistent with previous surveys, even as landlords navigate ongoing tax changes and evolving standards and expectations. The data highlights that the…
Read More
Breaking News

London’s most prestigious postcodes revealed

The latest research from Enness Global has revealed London’s 11 most prestigious postcodes based on average sold price data, with the SW1A postcode covering Mayfair and St James’s topping the table, where the average home sold for £2.375m. Enness Global analysed sold price data from the Land Registry, examining transactions to have completed across London’s…
Read More
Software & Tech

Software GDTJ45 Builder Problems: Causes, Solutions, and Best Practices

If you’ve been using GDTJ45 Builder software, you might have noticed it’s not always as smooth and reliable as expected. From installation errors to unexpected crashes and slow performance, many users experience problems that can disrupt workflow, delay projects, and cause frustration. This article will walk you through the most common GDTJ45 Builder problems, explain…
Read More