Average Rent, House Prices and Buy-to-Let Yield in Tunbridge Wells (July 2026)
The average private rent in Tunbridge Wells is £1,529 a month (ONS, July 2026) and the average house price £445,133 (HM Land Registry, June 2026): a gross yield of 4.1%, ranked 211 of 316 local authorities.
Rent in Tunbridge Wells
The average private rent across all property types is £1,529 a month (+4.6% on a year earlier). The regional median in the South East is £1,355.
| Property | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,053 | £12,636 a year |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,401 | £16,812 a year |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,697 | £20,364 a year |
| 4+ bedrooms | £2,456 | £29,472 a year |
The bedroom ladder in Tunbridge Wells: one to two bedrooms adds 33% to the rent, two to three adds 21.1% and three to four-plus adds 44.7% (England-and-Wales medians 27.3%, 20.9% and 40.9%). The biggest step here is three to four or more bedrooms — the size where an extra room earns most, and the first place to look when comparing a conversion against its cost.
House prices in Tunbridge Wells
The average price paid is £445,133 (-3.0% on a year earlier).
| Type | Average price |
|---|---|
| Detached | £848,254 |
| Semi-detached | £491,869 |
| Terraced | £397,315 |
| Flat | £253,309 |
Rents are outrunning prices in Tunbridge Wells. Rents moved +4.6% over the year against −3% for prices — a gap of 7.6 points that lifts the gross yield a buyer sees today. Tunbridge Wells ranks 132nd of 316 local authorities for rent growth and 297th of 316 for price growth; the England-and-Wales medians are +3.8% and +2.8%.
Gross yield by property type in Tunbridge Wells
| Type | Rent / month | Average price | Gross yield | E&W median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flat | £1,401 | £253,309 | 6.6% | 7.5% |
| Terraced house | £1,697 | £397,315 | 5.1% | 5.7% |
| Semi-detached | £1,697 | £491,869 | 4.1% | 4.6% |
| Detached | £2,456 | £848,254 | 3.5% | 4.1% |
On these pairings the strongest gross yield in Tunbridge Wells is on flats at 6.6%, against an England-and-Wales median of 7.5% for that type; the weakest is detached. Gross figures ignore service charges, which usually make flats the thinnest net yield of the four.
What that means for a landlord
- Gross yield 4.1% (rent × 12 ÷ price) — rank 211 of 316 local authorities; the regional median is 4.3%. Net yield is lower once mortgage interest, insurance, maintenance and voids come off.
- Tenant affordability: referencing at 30× means a household income of about £45,870 a year for the average rent.
- EPC before 2030: 46% of EPCs lodged in Tunbridge Wells over the last year were below band C — the level a rented home needs by 1 October 2030 — with 35% at D (EPC ratings in Tunbridge Wells).
- Council tax: Band D in Tunbridge Wells is £2,446 for 2026/27, and the council charges a 100% second-home premium (council tax in Tunbridge Wells).
Lender maths on the averages. At a 5.5% stress rate and 145% rent cover — the common buy-to-let convention — the average rent of £1,529 supports a loan of about £230,069, which is 51.7% of the average price. That falls short of 75% loan-to-value, so a buyer of an average home here needs a larger deposit or a stronger rent to pass the stress test. Both numbers are conventions rather than rules — change them in the stress test.
Run the numbers for Tunbridge Wells
- Yield calculator with £445,133 and £1,529 already filled in
- Mortgage stress test at 75% LTV on the average price
- Rent affordability: the income a tenant needs to reference at £1,529 a month
- Rental income tax on £18,348 a year of rent
Nearest neighbours by yield, in the South East
| Area | Rent | Price | Yield | Rent 12m |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Havant | £1,146 | £320,643 | 4.3% | +2.3% |
| Basingstoke and Deane | £1,307 | £368,739 | 4.3% | +2% |
| Tandridge | £1,634 | £475,344 | 4.1% | +3.9% |
| Reigate and Banstead | £1,637 | £480,481 | 4.1% | +1.8% |
| Rother | £1,166 | £343,870 | 4.1% | +0.8% |
| Horsham | £1,465 | £436,940 | 4% | +3.5% |
All 316 areas ranked · council tax in Tunbridge Wells · EPC ratings in Tunbridge Wells.
Rents: ONS, Price Index of Private Rents (average monthly private rent by local authority, July 2026). Prices: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index (average price, June 2026). Gross yield = rent × 12 ÷ price, our calculation. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0; contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Rankings and medians are ours, across 316 local authorities.
Asked about this area
£1,529 a month across all property types (ONS Price Index of Private Rents, July 2026), up 4.6% on a year earlier.
£445,133 (HM Land Registry UK House Price Index, June 2026).
About 4.1% gross on the averages — £1,529 rent against a £445,133 price — ranking 211 of 316 local authorities. Net yield depends on your mortgage and costs.
Flats on our pairing: 6.6% gross (£1,401 rent on a £253,309 price), against an England-and-Wales median of 7.5% for that type.
Rents +4.6% against prices −3% over the year — rents ahead, so yield is rising for a buyer today.
Referencing at 30 times the monthly rent points to roughly £45,870 a year of household income for the average home; the affordability calculator shows 24× and 36× too.