Rental growth picks up across Great Britain in April according to Hamptons International

Latest Hamptons International Monthly Lettings Index – April 2018 reveals that in April the average cost of a new let in the North fell for the first time in four years. The average cost of a new let reached £953 pcm in Great Britain in April, 1.9% up on the same period last year.

Average rents in the North fell -0.3% in April compared with the same period last year – the first year-on-year fall since June 2014. the average cost of a new let in the South rose to £1,372 pcm in April, 2.2 times more than the average rent in the North (£622 pcm) according to Hamptons International.

Commenting Aneisha Beveridge, Research Analyst at Hamptons International, said:

“Low stock levels in the South continue to drive rental growth as tenants compete for fewer available homes.  Since April 2016, the month the stamp duty surcharge was introduced for second homeowners, landlords across Great Britain have sold 88,000 more homes than they bought.  But landlords are finding new ways to maximise their returns by purchasing properties elsewhere, particularly further North in search of lower stamp duty bills and higher yields.

“Across Great Britain rental growth picked up last month to 1.9%, with the East being the top performing region (3.6%).  London has seen a reversal of fortunes with rental growth averaging 2.7% so far this year compared to -2.0% in the same period last year.  This growth has been driven by inner London with average rents rising 4.1% so far this year.”

Source of information Hamptons International.

From May 2018, the Countrywide Lettings Index has been re-branded the Hamptons International Monthly Lettings Index.

Hamptons International, part of the Countrywide Group, will continue to run the lettings index.  The methodology and time series remain the same.  The index has been running since 2012.  From May 2018 the index will include an inner and outer London split.

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Mortgage approvals down 11% in May

The latest mortgage approval data from the Bank of England show that: –   Mortgage approvals on house purchases for May sat at 56,205 down (-14.9%) from 66,034 seen in April. Approvals are down (-10.8%) when compared to the 62,980 seen in May 2025. This annual decline was expected due to wider political and economic uncertainty;…
Read More
Breaking News

Money and Credit – May 2026

Overview These monthly statistics on the amount of, and interest rates on, borrowing and deposits by households and businesses are used by the Bank’s policy committees to understand economic trends and developments in the UK banking system. Key points: Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals decreased to £2.9 billion in May, from £4.4 billion…
Read More
Breaking News

More than 5,300 land listings currently available in Britain

The latest research from LandSale, the property portal dedicated to land and rural property, has revealed that there are an estimated 5,373 land listings currently available across Great Britain, with almost a quarter, 24.9%, listed in the past 30 days. The analysis examined all land-only listings currently being marketed across Great Britain. LandSale assessed the…
Read More
Breaking News

Build to rent completions rise 11.7%

New research from Zero Deposit reveals that the UK’s build-to-rent sector has continued its strong growth trajectory in 2026, with both delivery and investment volumes increasing year on year as demand for professionally managed rental accommodation remains robust. As the sector expands and operators manage larger portfolios of high-value rental homes, protecting rental income is becoming…
Read More
Estate Agent Talk

Has the doer-upper lost its shine?

First-time buyers, once the doer-upper’s natural market, have changed their priorities – and what they want now is certainty. For decades, the doer-upper held a particular place in British life: the tired house bought cheap, done up over years of weekends and sold on as the home it always promised to be. It was a…
Read More
Crowded beaches - Clacton-on-Sea in Essex
Breaking News

1 in 7 consider moving home to manage cooling costs in hotter weather

Two in five adults (40 per cent) say they would prefer to invest in home improvements to reduce overheating from the outset, rather than rely on cooling devices Three in 10 (30 per cent) are concerned about the impact of using electricity for cooling on their energy bills, while over four in 10 (44 per…
Read More