With an average rental return of 7.69% Ireland is once again top of the pile in Europe for investors looking to maximise rental returns, claiming the crown for the third year in a row.

The third annual European Buy-To-Let League Table from WorldFirst, the international payments firm, revealed that Cyprus was the biggest climber this year – up from 9th to 2nd place – and that Belgium was one of the biggest fallers down from 6th last year to 12th in 2018. France ranked last place, taking over from Sweden which has held the position for the last two years.

Hit to sterling
More recently, the fall in the value of sterling since the EU referendum has impacted UK BTL investors looking for opportunities abroad. Sterling currently sits approximately 17% lower than the euro in comparison to its position three years ago.

Despite this, Ireland continues to offer strong returns – even more so than in 2017. While a one-bedroom city centre apartment would now set you back almost £11,000 more than it would have this time last year (+6%), the good news is that average rents have risen by £127 per month (+11%).

Investors in Ireland’s property market have benefitted from significant returns due in large part to reasonable property prices in comparison to soaring figures in other Western European countries. A stable euro plus continued economic growth and consistent rental demand have also contributed to the country’s performance.