Birmingham isn’t just England’s second city, it’s also the setting for the biggest UK housing market expansion in decades. The city has a truly exciting future, as it attracts greater levels of public and private investment in property development. It’s also attracting young professionals by the thousands, all of them keen to call it home. So, what is fuelling this rise in housing prices and availability? We look at the state of the market, and highlight some of the best apartments to rent in Birmingham.
Note: We know the title says “Top 5” but since this post went live two years ago, there’s been a rapid expansion of top-notch apartment developments in Birmingham that have made it onto the HomeViews site. That’s why we’ve expanded our list to take it a Top 10!
Apartments to rent in Birmingham: best developments as rated by tenants
Now it’s time to showcase some of the best apartments available for rent in Birmingham today. The following list has based purely on the verified scores given to the developments by the people who actually live there. This gives you a full ‘insider’s view’ into what it’s really like to call these prime Birmingham apartments home.
*PLEASE NOTE these rankings take into account how many reviews a scheme has and how recently those reviews have been submitted, so may not match the overall star ratings shown. Buildings with a larger number of more recent reviews are given a greater weighting to reflect current building performance.
Popping off like champagne, Corkfield has rocketed into the number 1 spot for Birmingham. This premium development styles itself as a great place to put down roots, grow and thrive. Designed for those who want to work, live and play all under one roof, developers Native have cultivated a vibrant, close-knit community right on the edge of the city. With 375 studio 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments, featuring floor-to-ceiling windows, stunning views and a wealth of amenities right on your doorstep. Corkfield is also a stone’s throw from multiple schools, Queen Elizabeth Hospital and excellent transport links.
Coming in at a close-fought 2nd place in Birmingham’s competitive rental apartment rankings is Aston Place, by Dandara Living. Sitting in the heart of the city, the development offers studio to 2-bed apartments. Residents benefit from a gym with fitness classes, resident events and car parking. As well as this, the development is just five minutes from Birmingham New Street Station and the business/retail districts.
The Whitmore Collection takes the 3rd spot on our list. This iconic setting offers residents a range of 1 & 2 bedroom canal-side apartments, as well as a number of townhouses. These all feature high-quality appliances and video security intercom along with speedy 100MB Virgin broadband. Residents can also enjoy excellent on-site facilities including a residents’ courtyard, gym, clubhouse and private dining room. Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter is also right on your doorstep, as are plenty of meandering canalside walks.
4th-placed The Mercian offers 481 stunning apartments over 42 storeys. Located on the former site of The Click Club, this rental development is the tallest residential tower in Birmingham. As well as great amenities and views, it offers a 200-metre rooftop running track!
Taking the middle spot, Hairpin Home offers cosy communal lounges, quiet co-working spaces and a concierge team on-hand 24/7. And it’s all just a hair’s breadth away from the city centre. Modern brand new one- or two-bedroom apartments. Each featuring a fully fitted kitchen including a dishwasher and spacious en suite and/or bathroom. In addition, just a 10-minute walk away from Birmingham city centre, Hairpin House makes the ideal home for anyone seeking spirited scenes in the UK’s second largest city.
In 6th place, The Lansdowne, managed by Way of Life is located in Birmingham’s Edgbaston Village. The building offers 206 apartments, a mix of furnished and unfurnished. There’s also a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes on offer. Residents have access to a wide range of amenities too, including 24-hour concierge and free super-fast Wi-Fi. Private facilities include a residents’ gym, lounge, and cycle storage with an attached bike workshop. Residents can also utilise the Cultural Mixer space, which has a residents’ kitchen, big-screen entertainment setups and a dedicated events space.
7th place goes to Sherborne Place is newly managed by ila, who took over from the previous management company, Native on 14th August 2023. The neighbourhood offers 230 apartments balancing the buzz of inner city living with the tranquillity of waterside living. Offering a range of 1 and 2 bedroom, unfurnished and furnished apartments, the friendly on-site team are in place to welcome residents and to provide support throughout their residency.
Next up we have Gilders Yard in 8th. Located in the ever-popular Jewellery Quarter, this development began welcoming residents from September 2022, offering 158 rental homes comprising one and two-bedroom apartments. The Grade II listed, three-storey factory, once owned by John Ashford & Son, has been renovated to balance its historical essence with modern living. The design pays homage to its heritage, featuring distinct terracotta exteriors and an internal display of original enamelled cufflinks. Amenities include a co-working space, resident’s lounge, gym, outdoor courtyard garden, and an on-site Resident Services team.
Soho Wharf takes the 9th spot, featuring 752 apartments and townhouses enveloped by landscaped gardens, playgrounds, and waterfront spaces. Designed to foster a sense of communal living, it includes 650 one and two-bedroom apartments and 102 two and three-bedroom townhouses, integrating nicely into the city with new pedestrian and cycle routes and a canal bridge.
Our 10th-ranked development is The Forum, which features a range of studio, one and two-bedroom apartments to rent in the heart of Birmingham’s Southside district. There’s a variety of resident facilities available on site, including a gym, communal lounge and landscaped rooftop terrace with a pizza oven and BBQ facilities, together with a dedicated on-site concierge team to cater to your specific needs. The Bullring, Selfridges and Grand Central are only a short stroll away and Birmingham’s New Street Station is just a 5-minute walk away.
Birmingham is the second-largest city in the UK, with over 1.2 million living within the main city area. It’s not just big, it’s also rich in history, culture and opportunity. From its medieval market town roots, it transformed itself into a manufacturing powerhouse during the industrial revolution. Today, it has completely changed its appearance once again, becoming one of the most important UK hubs for tech, healthcare, finance and services-based jobs.
This dramatic shift in purpose has changed the very look and feel of the city. Today, around 60% of Birmingham’s population is under 35, most of them young professionals. This influx of young people has in turn led to surging demand for new retail, dining, entertainment and cultural experiences. And, of course, it’s driving demand for smart yet affordable rental property.
This makes Birmingham a city that is constantly evolving. If you want to live somewhere with thriving nightlife, an outstanding restaurant and café culture, year-round festival opportunities, excellent schools and universities, and much more, then Birmingham delivers.
On top of all that, Birmingham has more canals than Venice and more trees than Paris. This makes it a beautiful, thrilling place to explore and fall in love with.
The surge of young professionals attracted to Birmingham means that renting is big business. While rents in London fell dramatically in the COVID-19 peaks of 2020 and 2021, prices remained flat in Birmingham. They then picked up dramatically in late 2021 and early 2022 as the vaccine rollout began to take effect.
This is happening partially because the Birmingham housing market is significantly undersupplied. Recent reports suggest that 4,000 new homes need to be built per year for the next 10 years to keep pace with demand. However, only 900 new homes were built per year between 2010 and 2020.
All of this means that Birmingham is a strong growth market, one that developers want to tap into. As major milestones are reached – like hosting the upcoming Commonwealth Games and the completion of Phase 1 of HS2 – Birmingham’s appeal as a property development market, and rental market, will only grow.
If this list has given you the urge to explore Birmingham’s rental market further, check out our area guide below. This will give you a fuller understanding of what Birmingham has to offer, and where to look.
Birmingham is located in the West Midlands in the heart of England. Often described as England’s second city it is a hub of business, tourism and importantly – is home to Cadburys dairy chocolate. Our Birmingham Area Guide looks at the residential regions of Read more about Birmingham
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