Smaller properties provide best BTL yields for landlords & investors

Following high interest from investors for this information, Countrywide has published national yield, rent and arrears data based on the number of bedrooms a property has. Countrywide is the first letting agent in the country to publish such data on this scale, which is based on 50,000 properties across England, Scotland and Wales. 

Three and four plus bedroom properties are achieving an average yield of 6.2% and 5.6% respectively. The average rent for four bedrooms properties was £1,398pcm in the first quarter of 2013 whilst for one bedroom properties it was £673pcm.

Despite larger properties achieving greater rents, it is the smaller properties that have seen rents rise the most, with one and two bedroom properties seeing a 3.3% year-on year increase in rents, three bedroom properties a rise of 2.3% and four plus bedroom homes a rise of just 0.3%.

All sizes of properties have seen a fall in rental arrears in the first quarter of 2013, with three bedroom properties witnessing the greatest fall at 1.5% and one-bedroom properties the smallest decrease at 0.4%.

Commenting on the analysis Nick Dunning, Commercial Director at Countrywide says:

“We wanted to produce this data to show landlords and investors what sized properties are achieving in terms of rents and yields. As our data shows one and two bedroom properties are providing greater yields than larger properties for landlords, 6.8% average yields for one bedroom properties, means there are some really good opportunities for investors with relatively low budgets."

"For example, a one bedroom flat in Nottingham recently sold for £51,000 and is providing a rental yield of 6.9%.  With rents rising, arrears falling and some significantly improved buy to let mortgage products compared to those available in the last two years, the findings are very encouraging for investors who are looking to start or expand their property portfolio this year.”