As national rents continue their upward climb—rising by nearly £80 a week over the past five years—landlord insurance firm Alan Boswell Group has ranked the UK’s rental markets based on affordability, listing availability, and competition.
The analysis provides a clear divide between the easiest and most challenging cities for tenants looking to find a new home.
The Best Cities for Renters (Lowest Pressure)
The North East and Yorkshire dominate the list of the most favorable markets for tenants, thanks to cheaper rents and a healthier supply of available homes:
| Rank | City | Average Monthly Rent | Score (Lower is Better) | Key Feature |
| 1 | Sunderland | £676 | 3.77 | Most available homes per 1,000 residents (15.7). |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | £672 | 3.86 | Second-cheapest rent and healthy supply of 23.9 listings per 1,000 renters. |
| 3 (Shared) | Rotherham | £664 | 4.16 | One of the country’s lowest average rents. |
| 3 (Shared) | Doncaster | £659 | 4.16 | Lowest average rent in the top five. |
| 5 | Barnsley | £646 | 4.24 | Ranks highly for low market pressure. |
Sunderland’s top position is noted as good news for landlords as well, with the city offering relatively low property prices and attractive yields.
The Worst Cities for Renters (Highest Pressure)
The South East contains the toughest markets, where high demand clashes with limited supply, forcing tenants to spend a disproportionate amount of their income on housing:
| Rank | City | Average Monthly Rent | Score (Higher is Worse) | Key Feature |
| 1 | Oxford | £1,897 | 9.23 | UK’s toughest city. Rents are second only to London, costing tenants 36.6% of their income. Also has one of the UK’s longest social housing waiting lists (3,443 households waiting 5.2 years). |
| 2 | Portsmouth | (N/A) | 9.14 | Extremely limited supply, with only 6.6 listings per 1,000 renters. Tenants spend nearly 30% of their salary on rent. |
| 3 | London | £2,253 | 9.12 | Highest average rent by far. |
| 4 | Cambridge | (N/A) | 9.01 | High-pressure market. |
| 5 | Reading | (N/A) | 8.97 | Rounds out the five most pressured rental markets. |
Renters in Oxford face particularly difficult conditions, with rents surging by nearly 12% over the past year and sitting more than 40% above the national average. For those struggling to find a home, a director at the Alan Boswell Group advises widening the search outside of city centres to areas with great transport links, which can save money while keeping connectivity.
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