Rents in cheapest areas jump 5%, Zoopla data reveals
Rents in the most affordable locations leapt more than twice the average national rate, according to Zoopla.
Rents in cheaper areas are rising at twice the average national rate, new data from Zoopla reveals.
The property website’s latest Rental Market Report claims rents are going up by 5% in locations where the figures are £750 per month or less.
This is more than twice the national average of 2.1%, which is down from 2.6% last April.
At the same time, average earnings are growing at 4%, marking 18 months that wages have outpaced rental growth.
Lowest level
The report also found that demand for rented homes has fallen to its lowest level for six years.
The areas facing the highest increases in rents are Carlisle at 9.1%, Kilmarnock at 9%, and Halifax at 6.5%, while Birmingham has seen rents drop 1.1%, Nottingham is down 1.5%, and Bournemouth is down 1.7%.
In Carlisle, Kilmarnock and Halifax, average rents of around £700 are 45% to 50% below the British average.
Competition for rental properties continues to ease, with an average of 5.6 enquiries per rental listing in May 2026, down from a peak of almost 16 in 2022.
London is the only area to see an increase in demand, with enquiries 6% higher year on year.
Gap closing
Richard Donnell, Executive Director at Zoopla, says: “Our latest report shows just how fast the gap in rents is closing between more affordable regions and major cities where rents are highest.
The gap in rents is closing between more affordable regions and major cities.”
“Rent inflation is more subdued across most of the UK’s major cities due to already stretched affordability levels for renters.”
Julie Ford, Founder of the Lettings Advice Service, says: “The rental market is settling into a more sustainable rhythm, with enquiries per property easing far below the recent peak in demand.”
