Rental growth has slowed across Britain over the last year, but price growth in Northern cities has remained at a similar rate to recent months. Of the 20 largest cities, the five which have seen the cost of a new let rise the fastest, are all in Northern England or Scotland. 

Manchester has seen the highest growth, with the rents of new lets rising 7.1% over the last year, faster than anywhere else in the country (Great Britain) and more than three times faster than the average. York, Leeds, Liverpool and Glasgow make up the rest of the top five – all have seen the rate of rental growth pick up over the last three months. 

Most Southern cities have seen rental growth slow over the course of 2016. Seven of the 10 cities where rents are growing most slowly are in Southern England. Oxford, Cambridge and London have seen the largest slowdown in growth and all drop at least five places from last year. In the capital, rents are rising fastest in outer London, while across central and inner London they remain broadly unchanged on last year.