Renters flee city centres for market and coastal towns

Renters are being priced out of cities and moving to coastal or market towns, claims new report.

Research by SpareRoom reveals that coastal towns like Leigh-on-Sea and Shoreham-by-Sea, along with market towns such as Ashton-under-Lyne near city centres, feature in the top 50 area search terms with the biggest annual increases in interest among flatsharers.

SpareRoom reveals not a single city features in the list.

Places in the top 50

According to the report, Mortlake, a district in south-west London, tops the list for increased searches by renters. Close to central London, Mortlake offers room rents at £825 per month, which is £157 below the capital’s average.

Also appearing in the top 50 are Seven Kings, Chadwell Heath, Harrow Weald, Rainham, Caversham, Beaconsfield, Hoddesdon, and Harpenden, all serving as commuter hubs into London, while Esher, Chertsey, and Stanwell are part of the capital’s wider commuter belt.

Shawlands and Gosforth, suburbs near the city centres of Glasgow and Newcastle also feature. Further south, two areas close to Bristol city centre, Bishopston and Redland, make the list.

Renting in Redland, a neighbourhood bordering The Downs, could save flatsharers an average of £1,908 per year compared to living in central BS1, where rents average £940 per month.

Several coastal towns are also included, such as Lowestoft, Morecambe, Barry, Exmouth, South Shields, Leigh-on-Sea, and Shoreham-by-Sea, where average rents stand at £727 per month.

Migration from city centres to market towns

Matt Hutchinson, director of flatshare site SpareRoom, says the list shows renters are moving away from expensive city centres.

He said: “Area search increases are a good gauge of where the rental market is heading.

“What these are signalling is a migration from city centres to market towns, commuter hubs, suburbs and the seaside. This is partly enabled by hybrid and remote working, but is also being driven by a lack of affordable rented accommodation in cities.

“Although average room rents in some parts of the UK are showing signs of stabilisation, rents are still a very long way from being affordable. The price tag on city living is moving further out of reach.”

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