Top ten cheapest areas to rent a property in Britain – is your local area on the list?
The top ten cheapest places to rent a property in Britain have been revealed, with Hartlepool leading the way.
The exclusive data from Zoopla suggested that tenants seeking out the cheapest typical rents in the country need to head to the seaside town in County Durham.
The average asking rent for a property in Hartlepool currently stands at just £564 a month.
Annual asking rents in the area have, however, grown 9.9 per cent during the past year – and so they may not be leading the way for long.
The monthly average asking rent in Hartlepool is less than half the average asking rent in Britain at £1,270 a month, according to Zoopla.
Britain has seen asking rents rise 4.3 per cent on average.
Ranked second in the list of cheapest places in the country is Dumfries and Galloway, where average asking rents are marginally higher at £571 a month.
It is followed by East Ayrshire, where averages stand at £579 a month.
The data is based on a local authority level rather than a county one.
This explains why County Durham – the county where leader Hartlepool is based – also appears in the list.
County Durham is ranked fifth with an average asking rent of £613 a month.
The top ten cheapest areas also include the Pendle District at £619 a month, Redcar and Cleveland at £622 a month, and the City of Kingston upon Hull at £634 a month.
The cheapest rents are highlighted amid a backdrop of record price rises.
The Office for National Statistics said average rents rose by 8.7 per cent in the 12 months to October 2024, up from 8.4 per cent in the 12 months to September 2024.
Meanwhile, it said average rents increased to £1,348 (8.8 per cent) in England, £766 (7.9 per cent) in Wales, and £976 (6.6 per cent) in Scotland, in the 12 months to October 2024.
In Northern Ireland, average rents increased by 9 per cent in the 12 months to August 2024.
In England, rental inflation was highest in London at 10.4 per cent and lowest in Yorkshire and the Humber at 5.9 per cent, in the 12 months to October 2024.
Prices are being pushed up due to increase demand amid a shortage of available properties to rent.
Nathan Emerson, of trade body Propertymark, said: “As we continue to see a further increase in rental prices across the UK, there continues to be concerns regarding the ongoing trend of lack of rental stock versus an ever-growing number of tenants looking for homes.
“Selling up altogether or turning to the short-term letting market is becoming a more attractive option for landlords due to the challenging legislative changes and increased financial liabilities they face.”
Financial pressures on landlords include an increase in the stamp duty surcharge that they pay when paying a property. This increase was announced in the Budget.
It means the stamp duty rate has increased from 3 per cent to 5 per cent.
Regulatory changes faced by landlords include the abolition of so called no-fault evictions. This is where a landlord does not need to provide a reason for evicting a tenant.
As a result of these financial and regulatory pressures, some landlords are deciding to leave the sector.
This in turn is reducing the supply of available homes to rent and helping to push up rental prices.
Jeremy Leaf, north London estate agent and a former RICS residential chairman, explained: “With the exception of the Dumfries area, all the other cheapest areas to rent have been showing solid increases at or around local and national averages.
“We are finding that as rents continue on their inexorable northward journey, prospective tenants are seeking out the lowest prices – even if that means longer journey times. Affordability certainly remains a factor evidenced by recent higher inflation figures.
“The uplift in rents has been exacerbated by landlords selling up mainly due to tax and regulatory issues as well as worries about getting rid of disruptive tenants when legislation currently passing through Parliament becomes law, probably in the middle of next year.”
Leaf continued: “Rents at, or near, record levels have not proved to be sufficient to tempt many to remain invested.
“Meanwhile, demand from tenants continues apparently unabated although rents seem to be softening in some of the more expensive areas often where rents increased furthest and fastest earlier this year and most of 2023.
“Some landlords are pursuing short-term options as a way of improving their returns, leaving the longer-term rental sector still ever shorter of supply.
“As a result, the upward pressure on rents and affordability is likely to persist for the foreseeable future.”
Zoopla said the cheapest areas to rent could be found in the North West and Scotland.
Daniel Copley, of Zoopla, said: “Hartlepool takes the crown as the cheapest place to rent in the UK with an average rent of £564 per month, over 50% cheaper than the UK average rent of £1,170 per month.
“Other cheaper areas to rent in the country are mainly clustered in the North West and Scotland, with two Scottish local authorities taking second and third place in the top ten.”
Zoopla has also revealed the 12 areas where home prices have risen most and least.
If you’re considering buying a home this map reveals where buying a home has become more affordable.
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How to negotiate your rent
Shelter shares these tips for negotiating your rent
Landlords and agents advertise properties at the rent they want, but you can ask if negotiation is possible if you like it but the rent seems too high.
Shelter said landlords or agents may be willing to negotiate if they think you’ll be a good tenant or if the property has been empty for some time.
You could point out things that might stop you or others from renting the property. And then suggest a small rent reduction because of this.
Examples might include old furniture, worn carpets, a lack of parking, no garden or outside space or poor transport links.
If you’re renewing a tenancy agreement you may be in a stronger position to renegotiate.
This is because they may think it will be easier to keep you as a tenant at a slightly lower rate than to find someone willing to pay more.
If you’re having money problems it is important to speak to your landlord promptly.
They might agree to a temporary rent reduction if you show you are working out how to pay them back and have a repayment proposal.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
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