Top of the class – top social classes push rents up by 65%

April 11, 2019

The latest data by, the UK’s only combined lettings inventory and property compliance specialists, VeriSmart, has looked at what impact top tier social classes have on local rental prices.

VeriSmart grouped thousands of postcodes by the percentage of the population classed within the NRS social grading of AB.

A being upper middle class holding higher managerial, administrative, or professional job roles.

B being middle class holding intermediate managerial, administrative or professional job roles.

VeriSmart then looked at the average rental cost per month across areas where the AB social class accounted for 0-19% of the population, 20-39%, 40-59% and 60-80%.

The research shows that the average rental cost increased by 65% for every increase in the population bracket, with the highest (60-80%) paying £3,013 per month compared to just £692 in the lowest bracket.

The largest jump came between areas where 20-39% of the population were classed AB and 40-59% – with a difference of 57% between the average rent of £972 per month and £1,541 respectively.

Founder of VeriSmart, Jonathan Senior, commented:

“Rental demand across any given market can be influenced by a whole host of diverse factors from location, property stock, amenities and even the prestige of the area and the demographic of the population. 

While these factors usually combine to create a greater rental appeal, this research shows that there is a direct correlation between the percentage of the population listed in the AB social class and the rental potential of the local market.

When considering these sorts of factors, those looking to invest in a buy-to-let property can quickly narrow their search to account for these influences and ultimately find the soundest investment to suit their budget.”

Percentage of the Population Classed AB
Average Rent per Month
Change (%)
Average Change (%)
60-80
£3,013
96%
65%
40-59
£1,541
57%
20-39
£979
41%
0-19
£692

Properganda PR

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

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 13/2/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   96% of proptechs fail to get to series A funding – here is why Thought Leadership by Andrew Stanton, CEO Proptech-PR The proptech sector has never been short of ideas. From AI-driven valuations and digital conveyancing to smart buildings and tokenised real estate, innovation in property…
Read More →
Breaking News

Landlords unprepared for the Renters’ Rights Act

Three quarters have made no preparations for the end of Section 21, despite major reforms taking effect from May 2026 New research from Inventory Base has revealed widespread lack of preparedness among UK landlords ahead of the first phase of reforms under the Renters’ Rights Act (RRA), due to come into force on 1 May…
Read More →
Breaking News

Why capital is staying in London despite a cooling housing market

By Joe Freedman, Head of Origination at ASK Partners London isn’t suffering from a lack of housing demand. It’s suffering from a failure to deliver. New data from Molior underlines the scale of that failure. Just 5,547 private homes broke ground across the capital last year, an 84% drop from a decade ago. Against an…
Read More →
Breaking News

The hidden risk of overvaluing your home when moving in today’s market

With many homeowners turning ambitious conversations into tangible moving plans, the start of the year traditionally marks a surge in activity, particularly for families planning for the future. While the property market remains fundamentally healthy, experts at Beresfords say overvaluing property is one issue that continues to undermine the progress of those looking to sell.…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rightmove launches next phase of AI-powered property search

Rightmove, the UK’s largest property platform, has launched a beta version of AI-powered conversational property search, as it continues to enhance its property search experience. In close collaboration with Google Cloud and built with Google’s Gemini models, conversational search is available via the property search bar on Rightmove’s website homepage. The latest move further expands…
Read More →
Breaking News

Should you break things off with your mortgage lender this Valentine’s Day?

As Valentine’s Day approaches, the latest research from award-winning mortgage adviser, Alexander Hall, has revealed that more than half of homeowners approaching the end of a fixed-rate mortgage are currently undecided on their relationship with their lender, despite notable improvements across the mortgage market over the last 12 months. The consumer insight, commissioned by Alexander…
Read More →