Yield map

London rent prices and the private rental market

With mortgage rates rising beyond 6% in recent months, an increasing number of Londoners are sticking to renting. Combined with rising inflation, a cost-of-living crisis, and increased interest rates, buying a house is now impossible for many. 

According to Rightmove, the number of enquiries for UK rental homes is up 23% compared with this time last year. Naturally, as demand increases, so too will rental prices; between January and September 2022, rental prices in London rose 22% year-on-year, with average rents now sitting at a record high of £571 per month.

Experts have warned that rising mortgage costs resulting from September's mini-budget would lead to more would-be buyers holding off and remaining in the rental sector, driving demand and prices up further, and that is certainly what we are seeing. 

Average private rented sector figures are soaring to record highs across the country, with advertised rents in the greater London area up 16% from last year. So, what is going on with rental yields? 

What is rental yield?

Rental yield is a percentage figure that represents the profit that a property investor can expect to make on a rental property. The figure is derived by dividing a property's annual rental income by the total amount invested. 

For example, if an investor pays £200,000 on a rental property and expects to bring in £11,440 in rent per annum, the rental yield figure would be 5.72% ((11,440 divided by 200,000) x 100).

What is a good rental yield in London? 

As demand continues to dwarf supply, rental price growth remains at record highs, with average rents in PCL (Prime Central London) rising by 17.8% year-on-year in October 2022, while in POL (Prime Outer London) the increase was a comparable 15.4%.

The average gross rental yield in PCL for October was 3.72% (the highest recorded since 2011), while in POL, it sat at its highest since 2013 at 3.74%.

Despite these averages sitting below the 4% mark, many of the capital's investment yield hotspots offer up far more lucrative investment opportunities. 

Rental yields show substantial local variation

London's east and lately north east has been leading the charge for some time now in terms of the best returns in rental yields, with many of the Capital's highest rental yields concentrated in the region; Barking 5.3%, Dagenham 5.4%, Little Heath 5.5%, and 5.3% in areas of Romford. The pocket around Heathrow Airport is also tracking well, with yield percentages in the high 4's driven in part by the growth experienced in the region as a result of the Elizabeth Line. 

Interestingly, our research shows that within boroughs there are certain postcodes that consistently perform substantially better than others. These localised hotspots are areas which are more attractive to renters than they are to potential purchasers. Anecdotally, we have found that ex-local authority properties with good public transport links to the city centre often fall into this category. What is even more interesting are the subtle differences between postcodes and even streets, so our unique street-level view of yields which updates with live data will be able to help landlords or property investors with their search for further investments.

London rental yields 2022, 2023, and beyond - predictions

Average rent prices in London may have cooled off a little from the record increases witnessed over the summer, but as the cost-of-living crisis endures and new builds are held back by ballooning material costs, further hikes are anticipated. 

As of Q3 of 2022, average London rents had risen to £2,343 pcm, representing the largest ever annual increase of 16.1%. Studio flats are now the most in-demand form of rental, overtaking one-bedrooms as maxed-out budgets and increasing city demand force renters into smaller accommodations. 

We predict that London rental values will continue to experience growth in the coming years, with forecasts sitting at around 5% continued annual growth until 2025, when it is anticipated that supply and demand will balance back out and restore some calm to the market. Growth is still expected through 2025 - 2027 at a reduced annual rate of around 2-2.5%, and the compounded growth outlook for the next five years is around 30%. 

Want to know what your property is worth?

Our handy Instant Valuation will give you both a rental or sale valuation in any postcode in just 60 seconds. It's an ideal way to check that you're generating the correct level of rental income, or, if you are thinking of selling or curious about house prices, what your property might be worth.

Methodology

On a daily basis, we analyse property prices from several hundred estate agents in London. We combine this instantaneous picture with data collected over the past 3 months and compare this against our own internal company data, so that we have enough data to be able to make statistically reliable assessments of the median sale price against the median rental price for several different types of property.

We have approximately zones 1 - 6 covered in London, and we are slowly working our way out toward the M25 and into the rest of England. We know that there are currently areas in the East Midlands, in Cardiff in Wales, Edinburgh in Scotland, cities in the south east, and locations in Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle which are offering fantastic rental yields.

Where we don't have enough data to make a meaningful assessment, the map is blank. This doesn't happen often, but there are areas in the City (e.g., EC1 and EC2) where residential transaction volumes are particularly low and as a result where we can't produce a meaningful rental yield.

We have published our research here and updated the data throughout the night, providing a real-time street-level rental yield map. If there is an area you want to investigate further or are considering investing in, then get in touch with one of our 20 offices situated accross London, who will be able to take you through our buy-to-let investment opportunities.

Click here to get a valuation on your property, or give us a call on 0204 5793 011.