Biggest climbing buy-to-let hotspots in the pandemic market lockdown

Latest research from lettings management platform, Howsy, has revealed the pockets of the UK rental market currently registering the strongest yields, as well as those that have seen yields increase despite the current pandemic.

See the data on the best and biggest increases here.

The figures show that the current average UK rental yield sits at 3.5%, having seen a marginal decline from the 3.6% registered prior to the pandemic hitting in December of last year.

However, even with the obstacles that the current landscape presents, there are still a number of buy-to-let pockets providing strong returns for landlords who want to invest in property.

Bradford is home to the highest average yield at 10%, far better than the UK average, with Gwynedd (6.2%) and North Down (6%) also home to an average yield of 6% or more.

Glasgow, Liverpool, Preston, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, Forest Heath and Manchester also rank high, while at the other end of the scale Kensington and Chelsea, Malvern Hills and Chiltern are home to the UK’s worst average yields at 2.3%.

Despite the problems posed by the current pandemic, predictions of house prices falling while rental demand remains high could mean an increase in yields, as the investment cost to return ratio becomes more favourable.

But even before this materialises, there are patches of the UK buy-to-let market that have already seen yields increase since November.

The largest has been in North West Leicestershire, where yields are up 1.4% during the pandemic. Arun, Corby and West Norfolk have also enjoyed an increase of 0.8% in rental yields, with North Dorest and Newark and Sherwood seeing a 0.7% uplift.

Kettering, Derby, Breckland and Falkirk also make the top 10 for largest pandemic rental yield uplifts.

Rhondda Cynon Taf, York, Gedling, Chiltern and the Vale of Glamorgan, however, have seen the largest declines of between 1%-3.5%.

Properganda PR

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

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Repairs are now a compliance risk: what the Renters’ Rights Act means for letting agents

With the Renters’ Rights Act now in force, much of the industry focus has been on tenancy reform. But for letting agents on the ground, a more immediate pressure point is emerging: repairs and maintenance are quickly becoming one of the biggest areas of compliance risk. According to Taj Sohal, co-founder of Fiixit, an online platform that…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 18/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Labour’s flagship social housing provider Vistry flounders   For the past 18 months, Labour’s housing strategy has been built around one central promise: accelerate delivery, unlock planning, and hit ambitious housebuilding targets through large-scale partnerships between government, housing associations and major developers. But the…
Read More
Breaking News

UK’s most affordable locations for first-time buyers

New Lloyds research reveals the most affordable places in the UK for first time -buyers • East Ayrshire tops the list, with average first -time buyer prices below £150,000 • Blackpool, Merthyr Tydfil and Mid and East Antrim also rank among the most affordable • Average first -time buyer age is 32 – but falls…
Read More
Breaking News

House prices trending into negative territory for just second time in a decade

The latest research by Yopa has revealed that average monthly house price growth across Britain has slipped into negative territory in 2026, marking only the second time this has happened over the last decade. Yopa analysed the average monthly rate of house price growth across Britain, England, Wales and Scotland between 2016 and 2026 so…
Read More
Breaking News

Homesellers face months of delays

The latest market analysis from House Buyer Bureau has revealed that home sellers in some parts of the country are facing Local Authority search waiting times of more than 90 days, with growing legal bottlenecks increasingly putting transactions at risk before they reach the finish line.   House Buyer Bureau analysed the latest Local Authority…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 14/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   The art of getting noticed as a recruiter in a world noisy with AI Why personal branding, humour and sharp messaging cuts through all – meet Daniel Fisher MREC Cert RP As a two times editor, journalist, author, analyst and consultant I get to…
Read More