The continued rising demand for rental property has seen rents for homes in commuter zones being pushed up, research reveals.
The analysis from Zoopla highlights that increasing demand in commuter zones matches the fall in demand in city centres with tenants increasingly working from home and the shifting patterns of commuters.
The property platform says there is a growing disparity between rents in the outer areas of a city when compared with inner-city rents.
The research reveals that rents have fallen in Edinburgh's centre by 1.8% since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, and by 0.9% in Greater Manchester.
They add that rents have also fallen in Birmingham by 0.8%.
However, rents are rising in areas with growing demand from tenants wanting properties with more space outdoors and indoors after three successive pandemic lockdowns in a year.
Zoopla points to rents falling
To underline their research, Zoopla points to rents falling by 3.4% in central Birmingham in the year to December.
They also highlight that rents have increased by 5%, on average, in the surrounding areas of Wolverhampton, Sandwell and Bromsgrove over the same time.
Zoopla's head of research, Grainne Gilmore, said: "Changing commuting, tourism and working patterns were felt in the central London rental market very quickly.
"We are now seeing the impact on other city centres, though on a modest scale."
She warned that landlords need to be aware that most demand from tenants is from those who live in the same city with ties to their workplace or schools.
The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "This research underlines what several organisations have been reporting in recent months, and landlords need to be aware of this change in demand.
"Having quality rental properties in a commuter zone in the UK's large cities could pay dividends - rather than investing in a city centre property currently."
North sees largest private rental growth
Meanwhile, research has revealed that the private rental sector's highest rates of tenant growth are to be found in the north of England.
The findings come from Ascend Properties, a lettings firm, which looked at government data.
The research reveals that across England, the numbers of tenants who live in the rental sector has grown from 16.4% 10 years ago, to 19.4% today.
The largest increase in tenant numbers since 2011 was seen in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West and the West Midlands.
