A year on from the Elizabeth Line opening, new Rightmove analysis has revealed the areas based around stations that have seen the biggest increase in tenant demand are some of the furthest out on the tube line.

Reading tops the list with a 32% increase in tenant demand, followed by Brentwood (+26%) and Shenfield (+25%).

This compares to a small drop in tenant demand in London of 2% versus this time last year and coincides with a bigger proportion of renters looking outside of major cities, in search of cheaper rents further out or an available home that suits their needs.

In London, 39% of renters enquiring to move home are looking outside of the city, up from 32% this time last year.

The average asking rent for a home in Reading is £1,401 per calendar month and has risen by 10% over the last year, compared with an average of £2,501 PCM in London, where asking rents for new tenants have risen by 14% over the last year.

Demand continues to greatly outstrip supply in the rental market, resulting in multiple tenants competing for the same properties in many areas of Great Britain.

Compared with 2019, tenant demand is up 42%, and the number of properties to rent is down by 48%.

Competition between tenants to rent a home in Ilford has nearly doubled in a year (+97%), the most around any Elizabeth Line station, followed by Manor Park (+86%) and Chadwell Heath (+80%).

In the sales market, Gidea Park is the most in-demand area near an Elizabeth Line station, followed by Brentwood and Shenfield, while Ealing Broadway has seen the biggest increase in asking prices.

The average asking price for a home near Ealing Broadway station has risen by 9% over the last year, and is now £886,251, up from £812,394 last year.

Rightmove’s property expert Tim Bannister said: “A shortage of available homes, record rents and the ability for many to work from home are all contributing to renters casting their net wider and exploring new areas to live in, in many cases further away from major cities. 

“The Elizabeth Line has opened up new options for renters needing to commute to different areas of London, and in many cases with cheaper asking rents than typical London hotspots.”