Edinburgh named among ‘least affordable’ cities for renters in the UK
Canopy’s latest rental affordability index reveals that almost one in eight tenants (12%) in Edinburgh are spending over 60% of their payslip on rental costs, which is just higher than the national average (11%).
Typically, spending 40% of take-home salary is considered the very outer limit of affordability. Placing tenth overall, the average tenant in Edinburgh spends £743 on their share of the rent and earns £25,456 per annum after tax.
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Hide AdThis equates to spending 40.3% of their net pay on rent – much higher than the national average (36%), and higher than Glasgow (36%), Dundee (35%) and Aberdeen (34%).


Major UK cities with the highest rent to net income ratio
- Bournemouth – 47.2%
- Oxford – 46.4%
- Brighton – 46.0%
- London – 44.5%
- Bath – 43.7%
- Portsmouth – 43.4%
- Reading – 41.2%
- Bristol – 40.9%
- Southampton – 40.8%
- Edinburgh - 40.3%
Staggeringly, one in 25 tenants (4%) across the UK as a whole spends over 80% of their take-home salary on paying the rent.
Tenants in London (44.5%), the South-East (44.1%) and the South-West (41.3%) are paying the highest share of their salary on rent versus the national average.
Northern Ireland is the most affordable area of the country, with the average tenant spending 32.9% of their wage on rent.
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Hide AdAverage rent to net income ratio per UK region (highest to lowest)
- London – 44.5%
- South East – 44.1%
- South West – 41.3%
- East of England – 40.6%
- Wales – 38.4%
- West Midlands – 37.8%
- East Midlands – 37.3%
- Scotland – 36.9%
- North West – 36.6%
- Yorkshire and The Humber – 35.4%
- North East – 33.7%
- Northern Ireland – 32.9%
Chris Hutchinson, CEO at Canopy, commented: “Our latest data shows stark differences in rental affordability across the UK, with some areas facing extreme conditions. In particular, parts of London have become almost unattainable, with tenants spending more than 50% of their net income on rent. This simply isn’t sustainable in the long term.
“The rental market is in a fragile state. While it’s encouraging to see efforts being made to relieve pressure on tenants, any regulatory changes could inadvertently push landlords out of the market, shrinking the supply of properties.
“Most landlords are already adhering to the spirit of the Renter’s Reform Bill, but the full consequences remain uncertain. The Government must tread carefully, so as not to dis-incentivise landlords further, which could ultimately lead to additional rental price pressure, deepening the affordability crisis.”
Read more here: https://www.canopy.rent/rental-affordability-index/q3-2024