Time to read: 5 minutes
This is a question that I get asked a lot here at Harris and Birt - a buy-to-let strategy in Cardiff works best when the location and property type match the city’s unique rental patterns. Cardiff isn’t a single market—it’s a collection of different markets shaped by students, young professionals, families, and a fast-growing local economy. This article focuses on how a landlord can choose the right area and property type specifically for Cardiff.
Choosing the right location in Cardiff
Cardiff’s rental market is driven by three forces: its universities, its professional workforce, and its commuter links across South Wales and into Bristol. Each neighbourhood offers something different, so the starting point is to understand what you want your investment to achieve. For example, if you are looking for a high rental yield – focus on areas with strong student or youngprofessional demand such as Cathays, Roath, and Splott. If capital growth is important to you, look at the regeneration zones like Cardiff Bay, Grangetown, and parts of the city centre. For low maintenance property and long term tenants , focus on familyfriendly suburbs such as Llanishen, Whitchurch, Pontprennau, and Cyncoed. Being clear on your priority helps you to narrow the field quickly.
Understanding Cardiff’s tenant profiles
Cardiff’s tenant mix is unusually diverse for a city of its size. Each group gravitates to different neighbourhoods:
• Students — Cathays, Roath, Splott and Heath (near the University Hospital of Wales). These areas offer high yields but can require more management.
• Young professionals — Cardiff Bay, Pontcanna, Canton, Llandaff, and the city centre. These tenants value transport links, cafés, and modern interiors.
• Families — Llanishen, Whitchurch, Rhiwbina, Cyncoed, and Penylan. These areas offer good schools, parks, and longer tenancies.
• Commuters — St Mellons, Pontprennau, and areas near the A48/M4 corridor.
Matching your property to the right tenant group is essential for reducing voids and maximising returns.
Cardiff has mandatory HMO licensing in studentheavy areas, additional licensing schemes in parts of Cathays and Plasnewydd and restrictions limiting new HMOs in certain streets.Theserules can affect both cost and strategy, so checking Cardiff Council’s licensing requirements early is essential.O
Once you’ve identified the right area for your requirements, the next step is to choose a property type that fits the local tenant profile. For example – apartments are very popular in Cardiff Bay and the city centre as they appeal to young professionals – plus they tend to have lower maintenance but higher service charges . Overall, these types of properties are good for handsoff investors.
Houses are always in demand in Cathays, Roath, Canton, and family suburbs so can tend to be better for longterm capital growth, they offer more flexibility for extensions or conversions but can come with higher maintenance responsibilities
Once you have thought about your type of tenant and type of property, think about a new build or an older Victorian/Edwardian house?
New builds are common in Cardiff Bay, Pontprennau, and parts of the city centre – they are generally quite energyefficient and attract professional tenants
Older houses found in Roath, Canton, Cathays etc – bear in mind these are Victorian and Edwardian houses built around the turn of the century so the rooms tend to be bigger meaning they generally rent quickly and offer higher yields but they definitely need more maintenance. If you are thinking of a property in Cathays and Roath, bear in mind they have stringent licencing criteria so probably best for the more experienced landlords or those using a managing agent.
Cardiffs older stock can vary widely in EPC ratings so choosing a property with a C rating or above reduces future upgrade costs and appeals to tenants conscious of rising energy bills.
Before committing to any purchase, I would advise any landlords to–
• Compare rents for at least three similar properties in the same Cardiff neighbourhood.
• Speak to a local letting agent such as Harris and Birt about tenant demand and seasonal patterns (especially around student cycles).
• Check for floodrisk zones, particularly near the Taff and Ely rivers.
• Review service charges carefully for Cardiff Bay apartments.
• Confirm whether or not the property falls within an Article 4 area if considering an HMO.
• Stresstest your finances for void periods outside the student season if buying near the universities.
A successful buytolet in Cardiff comes from aligning your goals with the city’s micromarkets. The strongest investments tend to combine:
• A neighbourhood with clear, sustainable demand
• A property type that fits the local tenant profile
• A balance between yield and longterm growth
• Awareness of licensing, EPC requirements, and maintenance costs
Cardiff’s diversity is its strength—there’s a profitable niche for almost every strategy when the location and property type are chosen deliberately.
