New analysis by Zoopla shows the gap between house and flat prices across the UK is the widest it has been in 30 years – since records began.
The average price of a house is up 43% since 2016 across the UK, but flats have increased by just 10% over the same period.
As such, the average house in the UK now costs 1.7 times the price of a typical flat, up from 1.3 times a decade ago.
Across the UK, the average flat costs £193,000, vs £327,000 for a house.
Outside London the gap is even wider – a house now costs 2.3 times the price of a flat, up from 1.8 times in 2016.
In Scotland, where the long leasehold system does not apply, the ratio has barely changed in a decade – the flats market operates much like the market for houses. Flat owners hold the freehold of their property, the same house to flat price ratio stands at 1.9 times — almost identical to its level in 2016 (1.8x) and barely changed in 30 years.
Leasehold status adds to problems
Four in five flats listed for sale in England are leasehold.
Zoopla analysis of leasehold listings shows the typical leaseholder pays £200 a year in ground rent and £1,900 a year in service charges – a combined £2,100 a year.
Freehold home owners also pay for insurance and repairs, but manage those costs directly and independently.
Scottish flat owners also share the cost of common repairs but there is no annual ground rent or a lease with a diminishing number of years as is the case in England.
The growing gap between the price of a house and flat goes beyond what these running costs alone can explain.
Zoopla says affordability also plays a role.
The flat-house price gap is widest in the Midlands and Northern regions, where houses are affordable enough that many first time buyers skip flats entirely.
Zoopla data shows that over 50% of first time buyers outside London want to buy a 3 bed house. In the West Midlands a house costs 2.5 times a flat, the highest ratio of any English region.
In London the ratio is lower at 1.9 times.
House prices are much higher meaning flats remain the only realistic route to property ownership for most buyers – seven in ten London first-time buyers are actively looking for a flat. This supports demand and keeps the house-flat ratio more in check.
Time to sell tells the same story
In Scotland the median time to sell a flat is just 15 days – the same as a house, a trend that has been broadly consistent for the last five years.
Outside London, in England and Wales, flats take 42 days to sell, 9 days longer than houses in the same market.
In London it is 45 days for a flat versus 37 days for a house, a gap of 8 days.
Buyer hesitation around buying flats in England, due to greater complexity and increased uncertainty, is consistent across the country, and it shows in both price changes and the speed of sale.
Average flat and house prices by region — 2026
House-to-flat price ratio and change since 2016 · Zoopla House Price Index · April 2026
| Region | Avg flatprice | Avg houseprice | Ratio2026 | Ratio2016 | Average price diff. |
| South of England | |||||
| London | £416,000 | £809,000 | 1.9× | 1.5× | £393,000 |
| South East | £207,000 | £480,000 | 2.3× | 1.9× | £273,000 |
| Eastern | £186,000 | £396,000 | 2.1× | 1.7× | £210,000 |
| South West | £174,000 | £368,000 | 2.1× | 1.7× | £194,000 |
| Midlands, North & Wales | |||||
| West Midlands | £120,000 | £296,000 | 2.5× | 1.8× | £176,000 |
| East Midlands | £113,000 | £264,000 | 2.3× | 1.8× | £151,000 |
| North West | £120,000 | £273,000 | 2.3× | 1.8× | £153,000 |
| Yorkshire & Humber | £104,000 | £250,000 | 2.4× | 1.9× | £146,000 |
| North East | £86,000 | £202,000 | 2.3× | 1.9× | £116,000 |
| Wales | £116,000 | £248,000 | 2.1× | 1.6× | £132,000 |
| United Kingdom | £193,000 | £327,000 | 1.7× | 1.3× | £134,000 |
| No long leasehold system | |||||
| Scotland | £118,000 | £223,000 | 1.9× | 1.8× | £105,000 |
Source: Zoopla House Price Index. Annual data April 2026.
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Average flat and house time to sell by region — March-May 2026
Where homes on the market for less than 6 months
| Houses | Flats | Difference | |
| Scotland | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| North East | 28 | 29 | 1 |
| North West | 29 | 40 | 11 |
| West Midlands | 32 | 41 | 9 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 31 | 42 | 11 |
| South West | 34 | 43 | 9 |
| East of England | 36 | 43 | 7 |
| Wales | 33 | 45 | 12 |
| London | 37 | 45 | 8 |
| East Midlands | 36 | 47 | 11 |
| South East | 37 | 49 | 12 |
| United Kingdom | 32 | 40 | 8 |
Ground rents have already been banned on new leases. In January 2026 the Government published a draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill – confirmed in the King’s Speech in May – which proposes to cap existing ground rents at £250 a year, ban the sale of new leasehold flats and make commonhold the default tenure for new-build flats.
The Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament in autumn 2026, with Royal Assent targeted for 2027.
Zoopla’s analysis shows average leasehold running costs range from 0.7% to 1.3% of property value a year – and that range matters, because lenders typically scrutinise properties where costs exceed 1% of value.
This article is taken from Landlord Today