Best rental websites in the UK compared
Every UK rental website pulls from a slightly different pool of listings and is built for a slightly different kind of search. Some aggregate adverts from thousands of letting agents, some let landlords advertise directly to tenants, and others focus on rooms and flatshares. The table below summarises what each of the main sites is best for so you can pick the right combination for your search.
| Website | Best for | Cost to tenants |
|---|---|---|
| Rightmove | Widest choice; the UK's largest property portal | Free to search |
| Zoopla | Big portal with area data and bill estimates | Free to search |
| OpenRent | Renting directly from landlords, no agent | Free to search |
| OnTheMarket | Agent listings, often before other portals | Free to search |
| SpareRoom | Rooms, lodgers and flatshares | Free to search |
| Gumtree | Local listings and budget room adverts | Free to search |
| Roomgo | Rooms and shared accommodation | Free to search |
| Nestoria | Aggregating listings from many agents | Free to search |
All major UK rental portals are free for tenants to search. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, agents and landlords in England cannot charge most upfront fees. Always confirm details on each site directly.
What do rental websites do?
When people start looking for a place to rent, knowing where to look can be a pain. It is a long task, sitting down and scanning through endless offers, contacting a few and never hearing back. It makes the whole moving home process so stressful. Rental websites solve that by gathering thousands of listings in one place and letting you narrow your search down to exactly what you are looking for.
What are the advantages of rental websites?
There are lots of advantages to using rental websites, and the best rental websites are easy to use and have features that really help you search for what you are looking for. Because the listings are online, they are continuously updated with what is available, so you do not end up wasting time on a property that is already reserved or let.
Many of these rental websites also let you contact the landlord directly, so you do not have to wait on letting agencies or middle-men. The main features that save you the most time are:
- Price range: most rental websites let you search by budget, so you only see rents that are affordable to you;
- Location: you can focus on a specific area, or compare rents across different areas to see where it might be cheaper;
- Filtered features: you can filter by the specific features you want, such as two bedrooms, a garden or central heating, to find the perfect place faster.
Top 10 best rental websites in the UK
So what are the top 10 best rental websites in the UK? There are a lot of options to pick from, since each one offers its own features and interface, so it will come down to which you prefer for finding your new home. It is generally a good idea to use a mix of websites to get the best range of options.
- Rightmove: the biggest online property website in the UK, with the most listings of any portal. You can filter your search by the features you want and even draw an area on a map to focus on one neighbourhood. Rightmove also provides tips and advice to renters to help them in their search;
- Zoopla: one of the best-known rental websites in the UK and one of the largest. Zoopla has features that make it stand out, such as searching by keyword, and it can provide estimates of your energy bills and local area information;
- OpenRent: a popular site that lets both landlords and tenants find each other directly, advertising itself as the UK's largest letting agent. You can search within your budget and contact landlords without going through a high-street agency;
- OnTheMarket: a major portal carrying listings from thousands of letting agents, often advertising new properties before they appear elsewhere. You can request viewings directly through the site;
- Gumtree: a well-known site for goods, jobs and homes that also lets landlords advertise properties to rent. Gumtree lets you filter listings to find what you are looking for in your chosen area;
- Nestoria: an aggregator that brings together listings from many letting agencies, giving you a clearer picture of what is on offer from different companies all at once;
- Roomgo: a good site if you are just looking to rent a room rather than a whole flat, letting homeowners and people with a spare room advertise online;
- Roommates: useful if you are looking for either a new room or a new flatmate. You can create a profile and post what you are looking for in terms of monthly rent, area and lease;
- SpareRoom: one of the best sites if you are looking for a room, a lodger or a flatshare, with one of the deepest pools of room listings in the UK;
- Find a Hood: works a little differently by letting people rate areas on factors such as demographics, so you can weigh up a neighbourhood before you commit.
Tips to find a rental online
The rental market moves quickly, so the renters who find a good property first are usually the ones who are best organised. A few simple habits make a big difference when you are searching across several websites:
- Set up alerts on more than one site: register on two or three portals and turn on email or app notifications so you see new listings the moment they go live;
- Be ready to view fast: have your budget, references and a deposit ready so you can act quickly when the right property appears;
- Never pay before you view: do not send a deposit or "holding fee" to anyone before you have seen the property and a written tenancy agreement;
- Check the deposit will be protected: a genuine landlord must place your deposit in a government-backed scheme, so ask which one before you commit;
- Read your tenancy agreement carefully: understand the notice period and your rights before signing, using our tenancy agreement guide.
What is the average rent in the UK?
Rents vary enormously by region, with Greater London by far the most expensive part of the country and the North East the cheapest. The chart below shows how average monthly rents compared across UK regions according to the HomeLet Rental Index. Use it as a rough guide to where your budget will stretch furthest, and always check current listings on the rental sites above for up-to-date prices.
Source: HomeLet Rental Index. Figures last updated: 21/06/2022.
Where are the cheapest places to rent in the UK?
If your priority is keeping rent low, some postcode areas in the North East and North West of England have historically had the lowest average rents in the country. The table below lists ten of the cheapest postcode areas recorded by Rentround. Treat these as indicative, and confirm live prices on the rental websites for the areas you are considering.
| Postcode | City | Average rent per month |
|---|---|---|
| DL4 | Shildon | £376 |
| DL17 | Ferryhill | £377 |
| DL14 | Bishop Auckland | £377 |
| DL15 | Willington | £387 |
| BB11 | Lancashire | £394 |
| BD21 | Keighley | £395 |
| HU3 | Hull | £399 |
| YO15 | Bridlington | £404 |
| TS24 | Hartlepool | £409 |
| TS27 | Hartlepool | £410 |
Source: Rentround. Figures last updated: 21/06/2022.
Best rental websites: frequently asked questions
There is no single best site for everyone. Rightmove and Zoopla list the most properties because nearly every letting agent advertises on them, so they are the best starting point for the widest choice. If you want to deal directly with landlords and avoid agency admin, OpenRent is the largest agent-free option. For a room or a flatshare, SpareRoom has the deepest listings. Most renters use two or three sites at once.
OpenRent is a popular choice for tenants who want to contact landlords directly rather than going through a high-street agent. It advertises itself as the UK's largest letting agent and lists hundreds of thousands of properties. Because the Tenant Fees Act 2019 banned most tenant fees in England, you should not be charged admin fees on OpenRent or any other UK rental site.
SpareRoom and Roomgo specialise in rooms, lodgers and flatshares rather than whole properties, so they are usually the best places to look if you want a house share or a single room. Gumtree also carries a large volume of room adverts. For more on sharing, see our house share guide.
The main UK rental portals are free for tenants to search and to contact advertisers. Under the Tenant Fees Act 2019, letting agents and landlords in England cannot charge most upfront fees (such as referencing or admin fees). The only payments they can ask for are rent, a refundable tenancy deposit, a holding deposit and a few specific charges set out in the Act.
Yes. Listings overlap but are not identical, and some agents or landlords advertise on only one platform. Using two or three sites, and setting up email or app alerts on each, gives you the widest choice and means you see new properties as soon as they go live, which matters in a fast-moving rental market.
Stick to established platforms, never pay a deposit or "holding fee" before you have viewed the property and seen a written tenancy agreement, and be wary of any landlord who refuses a viewing or asks for money by bank transfer to "hold" a property sight unseen. Check that your deposit will be placed in a government-backed protection scheme. Our how to rent guide covers the full checklist.
Going further with your move
Once you have found a property on one of the rental websites above, the next steps are signing your tenancy and setting up your new home, especially the utilities, which need organising before moving day. The guides below pick up where this one leaves off.