This page ranks UK cities by gross rental yield using Zoopla March 2026 data; Sunderland ranks first at 9.3%, ahead of Aberdeen at 8.3% and Burnley at 8.2%.
This data guide ranks UK cities and regions by published gross rental yield, using Zoopla’s March 2026 buy-to-let rent and property-price tables. The top city in the table is Sunderland at 9.3% gross yield, with £659 average monthly rent and an £84,924 average buy-to-let price. A separate national benchmark table uses UK Finance Q4 2025 buy-to-let mortgage data, including a 7.18% average UK gross buy-to-let yield and a 4.77% average interest rate on new buy-to-let loans.
PropertyWiki also adds an illustrative net-yield column by applying a 25% operating-cost deduction before finance and tax. The net-yield column is a modelling aid, not a published market rate.
The main ranking uses Zoopla’s March 2026 city and regional gross-yield tables, where gross yield compares annual rent against average buy-to-let purchase price. UK Finance is used for lending-market context from Q4 2025, including loan volumes, lending value, average buy-to-let yield and average interest rate.
The PropertyWiki illustrative net-yield column is a simple model only: published gross yield multiplied by 0.75 to represent a 25% operating-cost deduction before mortgage interest and tax. It is not a tax calculation, valuation or regulated investment recommendation.
| # | City | Gross yield | Illustrative net yield* | Avg monthly rent | Avg BTL price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sunderland | 9.3% | 7.0% | £659 | £84,924 |
| 2 | Aberdeen | 8.3% | 6.2% | £734 | £106,170 |
| 3 | Burnley | 8.2% | 6.1% | £634 | £92,473 |
| 4 | Dundee | 8.1% | 6.1% | £809 | £119,569 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 8.1% | 6.1% | £665 | £98,697 |
| 6 | Hull | 8.0% | 6.0% | £669 | £99,819 |
| 7 | Blackburn | 7.9% | 5.9% | £756 | £114,527 |
| 8 | Glasgow | 7.8% | 5.8% | £1,012 | £154,945 |
| 9 | Grimsby | 7.7% | 5.8% | £675 | £104,837 |
| 10 | Liverpool | 7.7% | 5.8% | £870 | £136,045 |
| 11 | Newcastle | 7.7% | 5.8% | £895 | £140,184 |
| 12 | Barnsley | 7.3% | 5.5% | £734 | £120,211 |
| 13 | Stoke-on-Trent | 7.2% | 5.4% | £774 | £128,613 |
| 14 | Doncaster | 7.2% | 5.4% | £738 | £123,134 |
| 15 | Preston | 7.2% | 5.4% | £861 | £144,178 |
| 16 | Blackpool | 7.2% | 5.4% | £730 | £122,374 |
| 17 | Bradford | 7.1% | 5.3% | £751 | £126,363 |
| 18 | Rochdale | 7.0% | 5.2% | £912 | £155,386 |
| 19 | Swansea | 7.0% | 5.2% | £896 | £153,501 |
| 20 | Wigan | 7.0% | 5.2% | £834 | £143,288 |
| 21 | London | 5.1% | 3.8% | £2,119 | £494,542 |
Source: Zoopla highest rental yields in the UK, data current to March 2026.
* Illustrative net yield is a PropertyWiki model only: published gross yield × 0.75, representing a 25% operating-cost allowance (repairs, voids, insurance, compliance, management). It does not deduct mortgage interest or tax and is not a published market rate or investment advice.
| Region | Gross yield | Avg monthly rent | Avg BTL price |
|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 7.9% | £748 | £114,098 |
| Scotland | 7.6% | £861 | £136,070 |
| North West | 6.8% | £932 | £163,559 |
| Wales | 6.5% | £918 | £168,859 |
| Yorkshire and the Humber | 6.5% | £845 | £156,660 |
| West Midlands | 6.2% | £970 | £188,870 |
| East Midlands | 6.0% | £910 | £180,817 |
| Northern Ireland | 5.8% | £803 | £167,126 |
| East of England | 5.6% | £1,244 | £267,817 |
| South West | 5.6% | £1,131 | £243,806 |
| South East | 5.5% | £1,388 | £300,330 |
| London | 5.1% | £2,119 | £494,542 |
Source: Zoopla rental-yield dataset, March 2026.
The North dominates the top 10, with cities like Sunderland, Burnley, Hull, and Hartlepool delivering gross yields consistently above 6%. Low average property prices (£78,000-£185,000) combined with relatively stable rental demand from local employment centres drive these returns.
Liverpool andManchester offer the best combination of yield and capital growth potential among northern cities, with both benefiting from major regeneration programmes and growing professional tenant populations.
Glasgow ranks 4th nationally with yields of 6.5-8.5%, making it the highest-yielding major UK city. Dundee also performs strongly at position 2. Scottish investors should note the different legal system (including the Private Residential Tenancy regime and potential rent controls) which can affect net returns.Edinburgh offers lower yields (4.5-6%) but stronger capital appreciation driven by constrained supply and international demand.
Stoke-on-Trent and Coventry lead the Midlands, with Nottingham close behind.Birmingham sits at rank 18 with 5-6.5% yields - lower than northern cities but offering stronger capital growth potential through the Big City Plan regeneration and connectivity improvements.
Bristol is the only southern city in our top 20, at position 20 with yields of 4.5-5.5%.London falls outside the top 20 with average gross yields of 3.5-5%, though outer London boroughs like Barking, Dagenham, and Croydon can reach 5%+. For a borough-by-borough breakdown of London yields, see the dedicated London rental yields by borough data page, part of the London house prices hub.
Southern and London investors typically prioritise capital growth over yield. A property purchased in a prime London location may deliver only 3.5% gross yield but historically outperforms on capital appreciation over 10+ year holding periods.
| Metric | Q4 2025 value | Comparison or context |
|---|---|---|
| New buy-to-let loans advanced | 59,489 loans | Quarterly lending count |
| New buy-to-let lending value | £11.2 billion | Quarterly lending value |
| Average UK gross BTL yield | 7.18% | 6.99% in Q4 2024 |
| Average interest rate on new BTL loans | 4.77% | New buy-to-let loans |
| BTL fixed-rate mortgages outstanding | 1.46 million | Outstanding stock |
| BTL mortgages in arrears over 2.5% balance | 9,520 | Portfolio stress indicator |
Source: UK Finance Buy-to-Let Mortgage Market Update Q4 2025 (published April 2026).
Use the gross-yield table to compare the income profile of cities, then check the UK Finance lending benchmark and local fundamentals before drawing conclusions. The most common misinterpretation is the “headline-yield trap”: a high gross yield is not the same as a high net return, because repairs, voids, insurance, compliance, management, finance costs and tax are not removed from the published gross-yield figure.
A second common error is treating one city yield as a whole-market signal. The London figure here is 5.1% while Sunderland is 9.3%, but those numbers describe rent-to-price ratios — they do not measure liquidity, tenant quality, capital growth or financing risk. Pair them with the UK buy-to-let guide, UK mortgage rates and the cheapest places to buy a house UK ranking before drawing investment conclusions.
It shows city and regional gross rental yields, average monthly rents and average buy-to-let prices from Zoopla’s March 2026 dataset. PropertyWiki adds an illustrative net-yield column so readers can compare gross and operating-cost-adjusted yield assumptions.
The city and regional yield tables come from Zoopla’s March 2026 rental-yield dataset. The national buy-to-let lending benchmark comes from UK Finance’s Q4 2025 update, which reports loan volumes, lending value, average yield and average interest rates.
The yield rankings use Zoopla data current to March 2026. The buy-to-let finance benchmark uses UK Finance Q4 2025 data, published in April 2026. Later rent, price and mortgage-rate movements can change both gross and net yield calculations.
Use rental-yield data as a screening metric, not a full investment decision. Compare gross yield with rent demand, sale liquidity, repairs, voids, local regulation, mortgage costs and tax. The illustrative net-yield column removes a standard operating-cost allowance but not finance or tax.
Gross rental yield is annual rent divided by the property price, before deducting costs. In Zoopla’s table, Sunderland’s 9.3% gross yield is based on £659 average monthly rent and an £84,924 average buy-to-let property price.
Editorial Team
Published: May 9, 2026
Updated: May 9, 2026
PropertyWiki's editorial team provides data-driven property market analysis and guides for UK buyers and investors.