Dublin trumps London for property rental unaffordability

The latest research by the international rental marketplace, Spotahome, has revealed that Dublin ranks higher than London for relative rental unaffordability, with just Lisbon in Portugal and the Maltese capital of Vallette ranking higher than the Irish capital.

Spotahome looked at the average net salary available in Dublin, as well as the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment, highlighting what percentage of salary is required to cover the cost of renting.

Spotahome then looked at how this rent-to-income ratio compared to other capital cities across the 26 European Union member states and the UK to see where was the most and least affordable. 

Tough times for Dublin tenants

It’s not uncommon about how hard it is to rent in London and with the average tenant spending 68.1% of their income on rent, it certainly isn’t affordable. However, this ratio of salary spent on renting climbs to 69.9% in Dublin making it the third worst for rental affordability. 

The most unaffordable is Lisbon where the rent is currently £799 per month and while this is some £701 more affordable when compared to Dublin, the average net salary is just £988 per month to that of £2,146 in Dublin. As a result, renters in Lisbon are spending a huge 80.9% of their salary on the cost of renting each month, making it the most expensive capital city for renting across the UK and EU. 

With an average rent of £748 per month accounting for 75.9% of the average salary (£986), Malta’s capital Valletta is the second least affordable when it comes to the rent to income ratio. 

Prague, Warsaw, Rome and Budapest were also home to rent to income ratios of over 60%. 

With an average rent of just £732 and an impressive average wage of £2,038, Brussels is the most affordable EU capital for European renters, with only 35.9% of income required to cover the cost of a one-bedroom rental property on a monthly basis.  

James Kirimy, GM for Spotahome UK and Ireland, commented:

“London is often considered the most expensive place to rent across the UK and Europe and for a good reason. The city is home to the highest average rental costs of all capital cities in the UK and the European Union. However, with Dublin now becoming the first choice for many large corporates, an increase in demand for rental properties has seen prices rise and rental affordability reduce, despite the larger earning potential these businesses bring. 

Of course, the trick to relocating to any major city is a bit of local knowledge, and while Dublin rents are high, there are plenty of pockets where you can rent for less while still earning a great wage, reducing the percentage of income spent on putting a roof over your head in the process. 

At Spotahome we specialise in helping renters from all over the world relocate to new cities, and we know that rental cost is often their primary concern.

Thanks to the advancements in technology and platforms such as Spotahome, renters can now find a suitable property at a reasonable price point and secure it with just a few clicks of a mouse before they even arrive. This new way of renting removes the painstaking process of residing in a hotel or on a friend’s sofa for the first few months and traipsing between viewings of an evening trying to find a place of their own.”

Average rental data based on the cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in the city centre per month. Average salary based on the average net earnings available in each capital city. Source: Numbeo.