CIA Landlords examined 72,930 rental listings but has not disclosed the data collection date, portals sampled or whether the count included shared gardens in converted properties. The firm states that only 36.2% of examined properties included a garden.
Leeds recorded the lowest garden availability at 25.7%, followed by Liverpool at 28.2% and Nottingham at 29.3%. Newcastle reached 30% and Sheffield 32.4%.
Edinburgh showed the highest proportion at 55.5%, then Coventry at 50%, Glasgow at 49.7%, Bristol at 47.5% and Brighton and Hove at 46.4%.
The variation reflects property type distribution. Cities with higher proportions of Victorian and Edwardian terraced stock or lower-density suburban lettings show greater garden availability. Cities dominated by purpose-built flats and HMO conversions in the lettable stock naturally score lower.
The missing commercial data
The research claims gardens create a letting advantage but provides no rent premium figures, void period comparisons or time-to-let analysis.
Garden maintenance in urban settings typically costs landlords between £300 and £800 annually, depending on size and condition expectations. Without evidence that garden properties command sufficient additional rent or let materially faster, agents cannot advise landlords whether the feature justifies acquisition cost differences or ongoing maintenance expenditure.
The 74% tenant preference figure cited by CIA Landlords lacks source attribution, publication date, sample size or geographic breakdown. Stated preference in a survey does not establish willingness to pay a premium or accept longer commutes for garden access.
Nick Long, managing director at CIA Landlords, said landlords offering garden properties have an opportunity in cities where outdoor space is scarce. He added that landlords "must be clear about who is responsible for garden maintenance and make sure their insurance reflects the condition and features of the property."
The insurance reference aligns with CIA Landlords' commercial interest in highlighting policy considerations. The maintenance responsibility point is operationally sound—disputes over garden upkeep are common—but does not address whether the feature improves net yield after maintenance costs.
What letting agents should watch
Agents marketing garden properties in low-availability cities should track whether inquiries convert faster or rental offers come in at asking price more frequently than comparable non-garden stock. If garden properties consistently let within one viewing cycle or attract multiple applications, the feature carries measurable value regardless of whether it commands explicit premium rent.
Property managers should document garden maintenance responsibilities in the tenancy agreement and include photographic condition records at check-in. Disputes over gardening standards account for a material proportion of deposit adjudication referrals.
Landlords considering acquisition or refurbishment strategy need city-specific rent premium data before weighting garden access in property selection. A feature in short supply only creates commercial advantage if tenant willingness to pay exceeds the cost of provision and maintenance.
The portals—Rightmove and Zoopla—hold the data required to test whether garden filter searches correlate with inquiry volume, viewing conversion or tenancy completion rates. Neither has published this analysis.
Letting agents operating in the cities with lowest garden availability—Leeds, Liverpool, Nottingham—should monitor whether garden properties in their portfolios delivered shorter void periods or higher yields in autumn 2026 compared to equivalent non-garden stock. If the pattern persists into the 2027 letting season, the scarcity translates into operational advantage. If void periods and achieved rents remain comparable, tenant preference has not converted into commercial premium.
Source notes
This article was written from the trade reporting below. The analysis and the PBI Take are ours; we have not independently verified the underlying facts.
