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

Breaking News

1 in 8 new-build homes unsold after six months

Developers hold their nerve as one in eight new-build homes remain unsold after six months   Jonathan Samuels, CEO of specialist lender, Octane Capital, believes that developers are increasingly prioritising profitability over speed of sale, with new-build homes spending longer on the market as developers resist unnecessary price reductions and instead look to protect scheme…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – July 2026

Year-on-year Rental Price Growth Moderates, Yet High Demand and Limited Supply Continue to Push Rents Higher London recorded the strongest monthly rental growth, with average rents rising from £2,385 to £2,484 (+4.2% month-on-month). As a result, the representative annual salary needed to secure the average-priced rental home increased from £70,050 to £74,520 (+6.4% year-on-year). The…
Read More
Breaking News

Holiday let reforms fail to boost housing market activity in Devon and Cornwall

The latest research by LandSale has revealed that the introduction of council tax premiums on second homes, alongside wider measures designed to curb the growth of holiday lets, has yet to deliver a stronger housing market in Devon and Cornwall, where sales activity continue to lag behind the South West and England as a whole.…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 10/8/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Letting agent complaints are up 47% and why everyone is misreading the property redress   The competence tax has been abolished Thought leadership by Olivier Jauniaux Founder of NestLink Somewhere in a lettings office this week, a property manager is reading a six-page document about a deposit…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – July 2026

Year-on-year Rental Price Growth Moderates, Yet High Demand and Limited Supply Continue to Push Rents Higher London recorded the strongest monthly rental growth, with average rents rising from £2,385 to £2,484 (+4.2% month-on-month). As a result, the representative annual salary needed to secure the average-priced rental home increased from £70,050 to £74,520 (+6.4% year-on-year). The…
Read More
Breaking News

House prices stable in July

House prices stable in July (0.0%), following a +0.2% rise in June Average property price now £299,253 compared with £299,396 in June Annual growth of +0.1% is the slowest rate of house price inflation since November 2023 Northern Ireland continues to record the UK’s strongest annual growth at +7.4%   Amanda Bryden, Head of Mortgages…
Read More