The short answer: Harlow has the highest gross rental yield in Essex at 5.5%, and Dartford leads Kent at 5.3%. Medway, Canterbury, Thanet and Tendring all come in above 5%. At the other end, Uttlesford (4.0%) and Brentwood (4.2%) in Essex, and Tunbridge Wells (4.6%) in Kent, give the lowest returns on the purchase price.
We worked these out for every council in Essex and Kent from the latest official figures: rents from the Office for National Statistics (September 2026) and sold prices from HM Land Registry. Gross yield is a year's rent divided by the price paid, before any costs.
Flats give the highest yields
In every council in both counties, flats return more on the price than houses. Tendring, which takes in Clacton-on-Sea, Frinton and Harwich, tops the list. A typical flat there sold for £146,000 and lets for about £887 a month, a gross yield of 7.3%. Ashford (7.0%), Medway (7.0%) and Gravesham (6.8%) are close behind.
Before you chase the highest number, remember that flats carry costs houses don't: service charges, ground rent and building insurance through the freeholder. On a leasehold flat, those can take a full percentage point or more off the yield. Always ask for the service charge accounts and check how many years are left on the lease.
Terraced houses: the steady middle
For a house, the terraced house is usually the best balance of rent and price. Tendring again leads at 5.8%, then Harlow (5.4%), Colchester (5.4%) and Ashford (5.4%). Terraced houses are easy to let, cheaper to keep up than older flat conversions, and they suit a buy, refurbish and refinance plan.
Where rents are rising fastest
Yield is only half the story. Rents rose most in the year to September 2026 in Dover (10.2%) and Folkestone and Hythe (10.0%), followed by Sevenoaks (6.9%) and Canterbury (5.8%). They rose least in Swale (1.1%), Chelmsford (1.6%) and Medway (1.6%). Rising rents lift the yield on a home you already own, so an area with a middling yield today can still be a good buy.
Every council, side by side
Ranked by gross yield across all homes. The flat and terraced figures show the yield for that type of home on its own.
| Council | County | Average rent a month | Gross yield, all homes | Flats | Terraced houses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlow | Essex | £1,531 | 5.5% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Dartford | Kent | £1,580 | 5.3% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| Medway | Kent | £1,235 | 5.2% | 7.0% | 5.4% |
| Tendring | Essex | £1,058 | 5.1% | 7.3% | 5.8% |
| Canterbury | Kent | £1,288 | 5.1% | 6.5% | 5.4% |
| Thanet | Kent | £1,125 | 5.1% | 6.3% | 5.3% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | Kent | £1,189 | 5.0% | 5.8% | 5.2% |
| Ashford | Kent | £1,253 | 5.0% | 7.0% | 5.4% |
| Basildon | Essex | £1,428 | 5.0% | 6.6% | 5.3% |
| Colchester | Essex | £1,200 | 5.0% | 6.6% | 5.4% |
| Gravesham | Kent | £1,345 | 4.9% | 6.8% | 5.0% |
| Swale | Kent | £1,127 | 4.9% | 6.1% | 5.3% |
| Sevenoaks | Kent | £1,828 | 4.9% | 6.5% | 5.3% |
| Thurrock | Essex | £1,389 | 4.9% | 6.2% | 4.7% |
| Maidstone | Kent | £1,303 | 4.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| Tonbridge and Malling | Kent | £1,500 | 4.8% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Dover | Kent | £1,037 | 4.8% | 6.2% | 5.1% |
| Southend-on-Sea | Essex | £1,316 | 4.8% | 5.7% | 4.8% |
| Braintree | Essex | £1,223 | 4.8% | 6.6% | 4.9% |
| Chelmsford | Essex | £1,439 | 4.7% | 6.6% | 4.6% |
| Tunbridge Wells | Kent | £1,543 | 4.6% | 5.6% | 4.9% |
| Castle Point | Essex | £1,266 | 4.5% | 5.6% | 5.1% |
| Epping Forest | Essex | £1,846 | 4.4% | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Rochford | Essex | £1,302 | 4.4% | 6.6% | 4.7% |
| Brentwood | Essex | £1,623 | 4.2% | 5.4% | 4.4% |
| Maldon | Essex | £1,137 | 4.2% | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Uttlesford | Essex | £1,305 | 4.0% | 5.8% | 4.3% |
Gross yield is a starting point
Gross yield ignores letting fees, repairs, insurance, empty months and mortgage costs. A useful rule of thumb is that net yield comes out 1.5 to 2.5 points below gross. The averages also hide a wide spread. A home bought below its market value can yield far more than the council average, which is where sourcing comes in.
Every deal we send comes with a deal pack. It shows the recent sold prices nearby, the local rent and the yield at the price we've negotiated, so you can see how it compares with the figures above.