England's north-south gap in rents shrinks to 11-year low

The gap in rents paid by those in the north and south of England has closed to its lowest level in at least 11 years, figures show.

- Jack Simpson

In its latest monthly lettings index, the property company Hamptons reported that the average rent paid by tenants in the north of England in August was £960 a month, an increase of 9.6% compared with the same period last year.

This was 37% lower than the £1,317 the average renter in the south of the country pays - the smallest percentage gap since Hamptons first began publishing the index in 2013.

It marks a significant reduction from the 43% gap recorded last year, and the 55% peak in 2021.

Aneisha Beveridge, head of research at Hamptons, said the gap had been narrowing for five years and reflected a similar trend in the homebuying market.