10 most expensive places to rent outside of London revealed by Rightmove

Rightmove has revealed the most expensive cities outside of London for renters, with the south of England taking up most of the top 10.

The property listing website found St Albans, Hertfordshire came out on top as the priciest place to rent out a home in Great Britain. With typical monthly advertised rents in the city coming in at £2,307, putting its lets 71% above the UK’s average (£1,349 per calendar month).

At the other end of the scale, Carlisle was the cheapest city to rent in with its typical monthly rent coming in at £791 - 41% below the national average. But despite coming in cheaper, the cost of lettings in the North West border city has soared significantly since 2019, rising 47% in cash terms.

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It comes as rents have skyrocketed since Covid amid record inflation and an exodus of landlords from the sector, which has led to an imbalance between supply and demand. According to major lettings agency Hamptons, northern lets have been seeing the strongest growth over the past year, closing the gap on the traditionally more expensive regions in the south of England.

The Labour government has revealed how it plans to regulate the sector, with its Renters Rights Bill currently making its way through Parliament. The law aims to give tenants greater rights, and is similar to the Renters Reform Bill the Conservative government was seeking to bring into law before the general election.

Most expensive and cheapest cities to rent in, according to Rightmove

To draw up its list of the most expensive and cheapest places to rent in Great Britain, Rightmove analysed advertised lets in 50 cities across England, Scotland and Wales during the month of August. This research included all property sizes, and was then compared to data from August 2019. Here are its findings:

Rightmove findings show ‘regional divide’ in lettings market

Commenting on the results of the analysis, Rightmove’s property expert Tim Bannister said: “The rental divide across Great Britain is clear, with an average difference of just over £1,500 between the most expensive and cheapest cities. Many of these cities have seen rental growth of over 40% over the past five years."

Bannister added that the findings would particularly affect students, who are just beginning a new academic year. He said: "It’s likely to be a significant consideration when students are thinking about where to study, and those who have already graduated working out if they can afford to stay in that city and find a job.”

Letting agents trade body Propertymark urged students to "do their research" on the area surrounding the university they're studying or thinking of studying at to assess affordability. It also suggested they use accredited agencies to ensure they get the best possible service.

It comes after a report released in May warned that parents may need to contribute a five-figure sum each year to help their children with university living costs. For those who are looking into how to support their child at university, we have rounded up the best student bank accounts.