Rightmove: New data – Most affordable cities to rent in

Rightmove logo

Hull tops the list as the most affordable city to rent in

  • The city of Hull tops the list as Great Britain’s most affordable city to rent in, with the average advertised rent in the city now £799 per calendar month (pcm), 48% below the national average
  • Second on the list of Great Britain’s most affordable cities is Carlisle, where the average advertised monthly rent is now £816 pcm. Wrexham is third on the list, at £817 pcm
  • The most expensive city to rent in outside of London is St. Albans (£2,330 pcm), followed by Oxford (£2,041 pcm) and Winchester (£1,985 pcm)
  • The findings come as many students have sent off their university applications this week

 

New data from the UK’s largest property website Rightmove, reveals that Hull has topped the list as the most affordable city in Great Britain to rent.

The average advertised rent in the city of Hull is £799 pcm, the lowest in Rightmove’s analysis of the 50 largest cities. The typical rent in Hull is 48% below the average across Great Britain, which now stands at £1,526 pcm.

A typical monthly rental payment in Hull takes up 26% of the average single monthly earning across Great Britain, compared with 50% nationally.

This is halved if two people were splitting the cost of the rent equally together.

Second on the list of Great Britain’s most affordable cities is Carlisle, where the average advertised monthly rent is now £816. Wrexham is third on the list, at £817 pcm.

The findings come as many students have sent off their university applications this week, with affordable rents being one factor that many will be considering.

At the other end, London continues to be the most expensive city to rent in with the average advertised rent of a home reaching a new record of £2,695 pcm.

St. Albans is second on the list at an average of £2,330 pcm, and Oxford is third at £2,041 pcm.

 

Steve Pimblett, Chief Data Officer at Rightmove, comments, “With average rents continuing to rise in most cities, many are having to consider their affordability when choosing a city to live in, including students heading off for their university adventure later this year.”

“We are seeing rental price growth slowing overall and a better balance between supply and demand. However, as seen by this data, the picture can look quite different depending on where you’re looking to live, and agents tell us the market is still very busy compared with pre-pandemic norms.”

 

Great Britain’s most affordable cities to rent in

Ranking City Average advertised rent per calendar month Average monthly rent as a % of average single monthly earning Average rental price growth compared to last year
1 Hull £799 26% +8.2%
2 Carlisle £816 27% +10.4%
3 Wrexham £817 27% -16.3%
4 Sunderland £833 27% +12.9%
5 Stoke-On-Trent £862 28% +5.5%
6 Bradford £876 29% +8.6%
7 Dundee £885 29% -3.7%
8 Doncaster £893 29% +2.7%
9 Lancaster £964 32% +3.9%
10 Preston £986 32% +3.5%
  GB £1,526 50% +4.3%

 

Great Britain’s most expensive cities to rent in

Ranking City Average advertised rent per calendar month Average monthly rent as a % of average single monthly earning Average rental price growth compared to last year
1 London £2,695 88% +8.2%
2 St. Albans £2,330 76% +2.2%
3 Oxford £2,041 67% +2.8%
4 Winchester £1,985 65% -3.3%
5 Brighton £1,880 62% +3.5%
6 Cambridge £1,870 61% +1.8%
7 Chelmsford £1,857 61% +8.5%
8 Salford £1,739 57% +30.5%
9 Milton Keynes £1,641 54% +9.2%
10 Edinburgh £1,620 53% +5.3%
  GB £1,526 50% +4.3%

 

Rightmove

UK Property news updates shared directly from Rightmove PLC - the country's leading property portal.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

How Letting Agent Software Can Streamline Your Rental Management

Managing rental properties has evolved far beyond the traditional approach of paperwork, phone calls, and manual record-keeping. Today’s letting agents face increasing complexity in their operations, from navigating ever-changing regulations to meeting heightened tenant expectations while maintaining profitability. The modern rental management landscape demands efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness that manual processes simply cannot deliver at…
Read More
small house bird box
Breaking News

UK First Time Buyers better off than many other global nations

Is it really that bad being a first-time buyer? UK better off than many other global nations when it comes to affordability The latest market analysis from Yopa, the full-service estate agents, reveals that first-time buyers (FTBs) in the UK may be paying 63% more to get a foot on the property ladder than they…
Read More
new build homes colchester essex
Breaking News

Building Safety Regulator Reform

The Government has announced reforms to the Building Safety Regulator, including leadership, process and investment. The changes are hoped to deliver 1.5 million homes. The reforms pave the way for creation of a single construction safety regulator, as recommended by the Grenfell Tower enquiry. David Smith, property litigation partner at London law firm Spector Constant…
Read More
Breaking News

New anti-money laundering rules now in effect: what landlords need to know

New anti-money laundering (AML) rules came into effect this month, marking a significant change for landlords and the lettings industry as a whole. The new rules mean financial sanctions checks are now required for all lettings, regardless of how much rent is charged. Here, Steve Bond, managing director of residential lettings for Beresfords, explains what…
Read More
Breaking News

What landlords need to know about the upcoming Renters Rights Bill

The government’s long-awaited Renters Rights Bill is one of the most significant overhauls of the private rental sector in decades. While it has not yet received royal assent, the legislation is expected to come into effect late this year, or early in 2026. With the bill moving closer to becoming law, Steven Bond, managing director…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage approvals bounce back in May

The latest figures show that: – Mortgage approvals on house purchases for May sat at 63,032 up 3.9% from 60,656 in April. The monthly increase seen in May marks the end of four months of previous decline, with approval levels having fallen each month since January of this year. Approvals are also 2.5% higher than…
Read More