Bath has been named the UK city where renters may have the strongest incentive to buy as rents rise and house prices soften.
Research by Trade Door Handles ranks Bath and North East Somerset first after finding a 7.84 percentage-point gap between annual rental and house price growth.
The study analyses Office for National Statistics and HM Land Registry data covering more than 300 local authorities, comparing changes in rents and property values during 2026.
It also examines local earnings to estimate the proportion of a typical salary absorbed by rent, although the ranking itself is based on the gap between rental and house price growth.
RENTS CONSUME 70% OF EARNINGS
The average monthly rent in Bath stands at £1,882, equivalent to almost 70% of typical gross local earnings, while its average property price is £404,480.
Tunbridge Wells ranks second, with a 7.51 percentage-point gap, an average rent of £1,521 and an average house price of £445,130.
Oxford follows with rents averaging £1,961 per month and accounting for an estimated 64% of typical earnings. Its average home costs £466,820.
Lincoln places fourth and is the most affordable location among the leading markets, with an average house price of £183,300 and monthly rent of £948.
Salford completes the top five, where house prices have fallen by 2.4% to an average of £231,890 while rents have risen to £1,164 per month.
SUPPLY PRESSURES
The remaining locations in the ranking include Chelmsford, Chichester, Milton Keynes, Colchester, Exeter and Cambridge.
A spokesperson for Trade Door Handles says: “There are already 3% fewer rental homes available than there were a year ago, and each listing is getting more than five enquiries on average. That kind of competition keeps pushing prices up.
“In cities where rents are already stretching what people can afford, that extra pressure is going to push more renters towards buying whether they feel ready or not.”
Two details need checking before publication: the release says Oxford prices fell by both 3% and 0.9%, with the ranking data supporting 0.9%. It also describes a top 10 but lists 11 locations.
