Do Terraced Houses Out-Yield Semis? 25 of 27 Cities Say Yes
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Do terraced houses out-yield semis?
On let homes on Lendlord, terraced houses show a median gross yield of 6.86%. Semi-detached houses show 5.71%. Gross yield is annual rent as a share of the property's recorded value, before any costs.
You may already let one to five properties and be choosing the next one. Median means the middle let home: half sit above it and half sit below. Inside the same city, terraced houses lead in 25 of 27 cities, by a median of 1.11 points. The national gap is 1.15 points, and that figure mixes cities.
A national figure mixes cheap and dear cities, so the fair pair is a terrace and a semi in one market. Held to a single city, the gap barely moves.
Figures from let homes on Lendlord. Last checked 30 September 2026.
Gross yield by property type
The table ranks ten types by gross yield, highest first. Rent is the median monthly rent for let homes of that type.
| Property type | Median rent | Gross yield | Let homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose-built flat | £928 | 7.32% | 360 |
| Terraced house | £895 | 6.86% | 4,237 |
| Apartment | £882 | 6.8% | 386 |
| Flat | £870 | 6.76% | 5,137 |
| Converted flat | £1,200 | 6.67% | 262 |
| End of terrace | £925 | 6.5% | 975 |
| Semi-detached house | £950 | 5.71% | 2,088 |
| Semi-detached bungalow | £925 | 5.29% | 97 |
| Detached house | £1,499 | 4.73% | 393 |
| Detached bungalow | £1,150 | 4.57% | 93 |
Source: let homes on Lendlord at 30 September 2026. 23,952 let homes in the snapshot. Gross yield is annual rent over recorded value. Property type is the label the landlord recorded. This describes let homes on Lendlord, not the whole UK market.
Purpose-built flats lead this list, at 7.32%. Detached houses sit at the bottom, at 4.73%. A semi-detached house collects £55 more rent a month than a terraced house (£950 against £895) and shows a lower gross yield. Apartment and Flat are separate labels landlords choose, so both stay in the table.
Your next purchase
Estimate the rent for that house
The form asks for the property type first. Enter terrace or semi, then set the rent against the row above.
Start an estimateSame city, same test
A national gap can hide a location effect, because 6.86% blends cheap markets with dearer ones. Hold the city still and compare the two types. That is the fairer test, and the terrace still leads.
Below are the five widest gaps, then London, then the two cities where semis lead. Across all 27 cities the median gap is 1.11 points.
| City | Terraced | Semi | Gap (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnsley | 8.33% | 5.54% | 2.79 |
| Bradford | 7.81% | 5.19% | 2.62 |
| Hull | 8.43% | 5.86% | 2.57 |
| Doncaster | 8.75% | 6.6% | 2.15 |
| Stoke-on-Trent | 8.18% | 6.09% | 2.09 |
| London | 5.25% | 4.63% | 0.62 |
| Swindon | 6.2% | 6.44% | -0.24 |
| Bristol | 6.17% | 6.8% | -0.63 |
Source: 27 cities with at least 10 let homes of each type, 30 September 2026. Gap is the terraced gross yield minus the semi, in points. Hull semis and Swindon semis each rest on 10 let homes. Same city, different streets. Not the whole UK market.
Barnsley is the wide end, at 2.79 points. Bristol's gap is -0.63 points and Swindon's is -0.24 points, so semis lead there. Judge the house, not the label.
What the yield talk leaves out
What the headline yield hides
These figures are gross. They leave out voids, running costs and the mortgage. Read the gap between gross and net before you treat 6.86% as money you keep.
Some terraced houses are let by the room, and that can lift the rent. The snapshot does not split HMOs by type. See what letting by the room adds.
End of terrace sits between terraced houses and semis, at 6.5% on 975 let homes. Use that row when the house is an end, not the mid-terrace figure.
The semi's extra rent is the trade. You give up some gross yield and you collect more each month. On a single let, that rent is what a lender tests. On a room let, the terrace can look stronger than the same house let whole. Write both rents down first, then see which house still works once the costs come off.
Three checks before you offer
Tick the list against the house you would buy.
Tick each line before you trust the asking gross yield.
- Compare the asking gross yield with the same type in the same city. Use that row, not the national 6.86%.
- Turn the gross yield into rent and costs for this house. Model the deal, then work out the yield for your own area.
- Test the rent this house would really get, not the median £950 for a semi or £895 for a terrace. Then check the rent clears the lender's stress test.
If interest cover fails, speak to a broker before you offer. If the rent is only a listing line, get a written rent valuation from a local letting agent. Tax on the rent is for an accountant.
These are let homes on Lendlord with rent above zero at 30 September 2026. Gross yield is annual rent over the recorded value. Property type is what the landlord recorded.
Types with fewer let homes than the smallest row, and non-residential types, are left out. A city pair needs at least 10 let homes of each type. This describes let homes on Lendlord, not the UK market. It is a pattern across houses, not proof that the type sets the yield.
Save the terrace and the semi
Run both types for the same city and keep the one that still works.
Save an analysis
Expert insight from Aviram Shahar, Co-Founder and CEO of Lendlord · PropTech entrepreneur and property investor · Last updated October 2026
Model the deal twice. Once on the terraced house, once on the semi. Keep the house that still works when you use the same-city row, not the national headline.
Official data sources
- HM Land Registry: UK House Price Index
- ONS: Price Index of Private Rents
- GOV.UK: English Housing Survey
Those pages publish prices and rents by type for the UK. No figure from them is quoted here.