Working from home during coronavirus is making many of us question our life choices. And one of the big questions we'll be asking in months to come is: this Do we really need to live in London (or any other big city) for the sake of our career?
Because lockdown life has really highlighted the importance of nature for mental health, a big move to the country might seem especially appealing right now. Equally, if you decided to move home during lockdown, you might be considering whether to make the arrangement semi-permanent.
Or alternatively, you might just fancy a slice of life in a different town or city once social distancing guidelines are loosened again and viewing a flat becomes less risky. For this reason, new research ranking the best and worst cities in the UK for renters makes for very interesting reading.
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According to research compiled by Insulation Express, Plymouth is actually the UK's most renter-friendly city. It finishes top of the rankings thanks to its low unemployment rate, low crime levels and the fact renters there spend an average of 32% of their income on rent.
Edinburgh, Cardiff and Glasgow also place high on the list – and encouragingly, rents in these cities are only rising very slowly year-on-year.
Despite the fact that Londoners spend an average of 64% of their income on rent, which is clearly pretty obscene, the capital finishes a very creditable sixth place on the list. Check out a table of the UK's most renter-friendly cities below.
At the other end of the scale, Luton is named the UK's least renter-friendly city. Renters there spend a relatively hefty 41% of their income on rent – higher than in many cities – and rents there are rising fast, too.
Leicester, which has high eviction and unemployment rates, and Reading, where renters spend nearly half of their income on rent, aren't far behind. Check out a table of the UK's least renter-friendly cities below.