Buy to let in Cardiff
2026 Market Data & Investment Analysis
Gross Yield
5.4%
Annual rent / price
Median Home Price
£235,000
As of 2026-Q1
Median Monthly Rent
£1,050
Per month
Population
362,000
+0.8% / yr (5y avg)
Estimates based on median market data. Actual returns depend on your specific property. Source: UK Land Registry / ONS, 2026-Q1.
Calculate your rental yield in Cardiff
Pre-filled with Cardiff's median values. Adjust to match your specific property.
Property Details
Total acquisition cost before taxes
HOA, insurance, property management
% of time the property is empty
% of purchase price (e.g. 2% = 2)
Rule of thumb: 1% of purchase price/yr
Results
Gross Rental Yield
5.36%
Net Rental Yield
3.07%
Cap Rate
3.07%
Monthly Cash Flow
£601.67
Annual Cash Flow
£7,220.00
Cardiff rental market at a glance
Median Home Price — 5-Year Trend
Median Monthly Rent — 5-Year Trend
Cardiff provides solid rental yields of 5.4%, in line with healthy investment market benchmarks.
Modest population growth of 0.8% per year indicates a stable but slowly growing rental market.
The vacancy rate of 2.9% is healthy, indicating strong rental demand and limited downtime between tenants.
What type of investment market is Cardiff?
Cardiff presents challenges with both modest rental yields and limited population growth. Investors need to carefully analyze specific neighborhoods and property types to find opportunities that outperform the market average.
✓ Strengths
- •Lower entry prices may reduce downside risk
- •Select neighborhoods and value-add properties can outperform the average
! Risks
- •Below-average gross yield of 5.4% limits income potential
- •Limited population growth reduces long-term rental demand
- •Higher due diligence required to identify strong-performing assets
Key Metrics
How does Cardiff compare to nearby cities?
Cardiff vs Bristol: 0.4 percentage point difference in gross yield.
| City | Median Price | Median Rent | Gross Yield | Pop. Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bristol, England | £350,000 | £1,450 | 5% | +0.6% |
| Bournemouth, England | £310,000 | £1,250 | 4.8% | +0.5% |
| Birmingham, England | £215,000 | £980 | 5.5% | +0.8% |
| Southampton, England | £280,000 | £1,200 | 5.1% | +0.3% |
| Plymouth, England | £220,000 | £950 | 5.2% | +0.1% |
Common questions about investing in Cardiff
Is rental investing profitable in Cardiff?▾
What is the average rental yield in Cardiff?▾
How does Cardiff compare to Bristol for investors?▾
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