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Asking rent £1,506/month · Gross yield 5.2% · 12 months, listings to Sep 2026
Watford: asking rent £1,506/month (12 months to Sep 2026, 1,643 lets).
£1,506/month 12 months to Sep 2026
1,643 lets
Median asking rent per calendar month of residential lettings in the month, from portal listings. Asking, not achieved. 12-month figure: the monthly medians weighted by their sample, 12 months to Sep 2026, 1,643 lets.
5.2% 12 months to Sep 2026
4,244 lets
-3.1% on the previous 12 months.
Cell asking rent × 12 over the same cell's asking sale price, before costs, voids and finance (cells with fewer than 5 dated listings are not built). 12-month figure: the monthly medians weighted by their sample, 12 months to Sep 2026, 4,244 lets.
Sample is the dated lettings behind the latest month's rent cell.
656 on 4 Nov 2026
Count of live residential lettings on the day, from portal listings; observed forwards from 5 Sep 2026. The count on 4 Nov 2026; the daily series began on 5 Sep 2026, so no change over a year is stated.
Asking rent in Watford runs from £1,396/month for 1 bedroom to £2,555/month for 4 bedrooms.
| Homes | Asking rent | Window | Change | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,396/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 | -2.4% on the previous 12 months | 1828 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,959/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 | -4.7% on the previous 12 months | 1713 |
| 3 bedrooms | £2,098/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 | -7.9% on the previous 12 months | 338 |
| 4 bedrooms | £2,555/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · 8 of 12 months observed | — | 55 |
| 5+ bedrooms | Not published | — | — | — |
Asking rent per calendar month by bedroom band: the monthly medians of lettings that came to market, weighted by their dated listings, within the last 12 calendar months, from portal listings. A band with fewer than 30 dated listings in the year is not published.
Corporate landlords hold 77% of the 1,497 units in Watford whose freeholder is classified; 97% of all units are not yet classified.
Freeholder class per addressable unit, from HM Land Registry CCOD/OCOD matched to the title and Companies House. Individuals are counted, never itemised.
Watford ranks 8th of 10 local authorities in Hertfordshire for asking rent, at £1,506/month.
Watford ranks 8th of 10 local authorities in Hertfordshire for asking rent, at £1,506/month.
| # | Area | Asking rent | Period | Sample | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Three Rivers | £2,346/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 657 | measured |
| 2 | Hertsmere | £2,085/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 908 | measured |
| 3 | St. Albans | £2,008/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 1,278 | measured |
| 4 | Welwyn Hatfield | £1,778/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 1,587 | measured |
| 5 | Broxbourne | £1,687/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 685 | measured |
| 8 | Watford | £1,506/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 1,643 | measured |
Full table: asking rent across local authorities in Hertfordshire
Watford ranks 1st of 10 local authorities in Hertfordshire for gross yield, asking basis, at 5.2%.
| # | Area | Gross yield, asking basis | Period | Sample | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Watford | 5.2% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 4,244 | measured |
| 2 | Stevenage | 5.1% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 1,197 | measured |
| 3 | Welwyn Hatfield | 4.2% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 2,149 | measured |
| 4 | East Hertfordshire | 3.8% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 2,357 | measured |
| 5 | Broxbourne | 3.8% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 1,177 | measured |
Full table: gross yield, asking basis across local authorities in Hertfordshire
WD17 leads the 3 postcode districts within Watford for asking rent, at £1,498/month.
| # | Area | Asking rent | Period | Sample | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WD17 | £1,498/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 455 | measured |
| 2 | WD18 | £1,459/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 563 | measured |
| 3 | WD24 | £1,437/month | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 432 | measured |
WD18 leads the 3 postcode districts within Watford for gross yield, asking basis, at 6.1%.
| # | Area | Gross yield, asking basis | Period | Sample | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WD18 | 6.1% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 2,434 | measured |
| 2 | WD17 | 4.8% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 1,044 | measured |
| 3 | WD24 | 4.4% | 12 months to Sep 2026 · from monthly figures | 766 | measured |
Sector and regional evidence. These figures are not a quote for an individual property.
Reading the cost index and the regional factors…
| Figure | Dataset | Window | Latest | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asking rent | MarketCode market evidence | 12 months to Sep 2026 | Sep 2026 | 1,643 lets |
| Gross yield, asking basis | MarketCode market evidence | 12 months to Sep 2026 | Sep 2026 | 4,244 lets |
| Homes to rent | Portal listings; observed forwards from 5 Sep 2026 | on 4 Nov 2026 | 4 Nov 2026 | — |