By New market analysis has revealed that commercial rents have rebounded across Britain, up 9.7% annually, having previously declined by -2.9% between 2021 and 2022.
Analysis was undertaken on current commercial rents across each region of Britain and how they have changed over time.
The research shows that at present, the average commercial rent sits at £1,036 per week, having increased by 9.7% versus this time last year.
This reverses the previous downward trend, whereby commercial rental values had fallen by -2.9% between April 2021 and April 2022.
What’s more, the average commercial rent secured across Britain at present also sits 42% higher than the pre-pandemic market.
The North West has seen the biggest uplift in commercial rental values over the last year, increasing by 88.7%.
In Wales, commercial rents are up 40.8% annually, while the North East (39.2%) and the East of England (21.6%) have also seen notable growth.
Commercial rental values are also up across Yorkshire and the Humber and the South West, albeit by a more marginal level at 5.3% and 3.6% respectively.
However, despite strong topline growth, commercial rental values haven’t rebounded across every region of Britain.
Across the South East they are down -18.4%, with the West Midlands (-14.6%) and East Midlands (-12.9%) also seeing a double digit reduction since last year.
Again, London (-4.6%) and Scotland (-2.6%) have also seen a less severe reduction in commercial rental values.
Despite this, signs of strong positive growth will be warmly welcomed by the sector and should help to rejuvenate investor confidence, as previous research has shown that investment within the commercial sector has taken a dive, with a decline in industrial investment driving this decline.
Nicholas Christofi, Managing Director of Sirius Property Finance, the debt advisory specialists responsible for the research, commented:
“Just as the commercial sector looked to be overcoming the impact of the pandemic, it’s been further hit by the economic uncertainty that has enveloped Britain in recent months.
However, there are some very positive signs on the ground when it comes to the rental values being achieved across many parts of the UK, as well as the strong growth they’ve shown in the last year alone.
In this respect, the commercial sector has not only rebounded from its pandemic induced slump, but it’s moved beyond the pre-pandemic benchmark, with commercial rents now higher across every region but three when compared to 2019.
With commercial property investment declining in recent times, this strong growth should help reassure investors that the commercial sector still has a great deal to offer and that commercial rentals remain a profitable endeavour.”
| Region | Avg asking rent pw – April 2019 | Avg asking rent pw – April 2020 | Avg asking rent pw – April 2021 | Avg asking rent pw – April 2022 | Avg asking rent pw – April 2023 | Annual change % | Pandemic Change (2019 to 2023) (%) |
| North West England | £827 | £636 | £698 | £592 | £1,117 | 88.7% | 35% |
| Wales | £480 | £491 | £601 | £822 | £1,157 | 40.8% | 141% |
| North East England | £477 | £458 | £610 | £558 | £777 | 39.2% | 63% |
| East of England | £698 | £883 | £989 | £1,231 | £1,497 | 21.6% | 114% |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | £472 | £518 | £778 | £871 | £917 | 5.3% | 94% |
| South West England | £682 | £786 | £1,160 | £787 | £815 | 3.6% | 20% |
| Scotland | £625 | £623 | £652 | £620 | £604 | -2.6% | -3% |
| London | £1,386 | £1,403 | £2,078 | £1,604 | £1,531 | -4.6% | 10% |
| East Midlands | £1,528 | £1,272 | £1,157 | £1,571 | £1,368 | -12.9% | -10% |
| West Midlands | £522 | £700 | £1,187 | £1,039 | £887 | -14.6% | 70% |
| South East England | £1,068 | £1,236 | £1,737 | £1,440 | £1,175 | -18.4% | 10% |
| Great Britain | £730 | £761 | £973 | £945 | £1,036 | 9.7% | 42% |
- Commercial Rents sourced from Zoopla
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