Eleanor Noyce
Published November 26, 2025 3:40pm
Updated November 26, 2025 3:40pm
Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook
Comment now
Comments
Skegness has been named as one of the most sought-after rental spots in the UK (Picture: Getty Images)
A historic pier, a sandy beach, and of course, fish and chips, mark Skegness out as a quintessentially British seaside resort.
Thanks to claims that sea air was an essential health-booster, the Lincolnshire coastal spot enjoyed a heyday in Georgian and Victorian Britain.
Visitors would travel to Skegness en masse on the bus from Boston; bathing machines were dotted around the beach to encourage modest, umbrella-clad sunbathing, and Alfred Tennyson was rumoured to have stayed there, inspiring some of the landscapes he wrote about.
But as the years have gone on, it hasn’t exactly maintained the best reputation. Headlines have called it a ‘vulgar hellhole’ and a ‘ghost town’, and in 2023, it ranked bottom in Which?’s poll of British seaside destinations.
As it turns out though, it’s beating the ‘rubbish’ allegations, with a new study identifying it as one of the UK’s top rental hotspots.
Skegness has seen a 90% change in searches for rentals in 2025 (Picture: Getty Images)
Analysing exactly where tenants are searching for new properties, Hiscox collated tenant enquiries across 1,000 locations across the country, revealing which places are the most searched-for.
Ready to start your homebuying journey?
You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from:
– Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker
– Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week
– Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market
Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice.
Find out how much you could borrow online
Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Alongside picks like Houghton-le-Spring and Troon, good old Skegvegas topped the charts as one of the most sought-after spots among house-hunters, having experienced a 90% increase in 2025 alone.
As experts at the estate agent firm noted: ‘You can never underestimate the underdog, especially if it has coastal views.’
Is Skegness undergoing a rebrand?
Although Skegness may be somewhat overlooked these days, a wave of investment means it’s quietly on the up.
Earlier this year, a £23 million project by East Midlands Railway was confirmed to improve the town’s train links.
Plus, a new Travelodge is being built by the aquarium, while the Embassy Theatre, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2026, recently received a complete makeover – a stark contrast to previous social media comments that Skegness is a ‘sad’ place where ‘everything feels a bit broken.’
Skegness is on the up, it seems (Picture: Datawrapper/Metro)
Earlier this year, 43-year-old local, Justin Tai, claimed that one of the reasons the Lincolnshire town is seeing a renaissance is the facelift that’s currently underway.
He told Metro: ‘I think it’s on the up because they’re doing work towards making things better. A lot of places struggled after Covid but there seems to be a positive attitude.
‘I honestly think it’s a lovely seaside town. It’s got a very lovely sandy beach, there’s lots of stuff to do even if it’s raining, and there are lots of places to visit, like the nature reserve for walks.’
Skegness beach is actually one of the cleanest in the UK (Picture: Getty Images)
Justin isn’t the only one willing to defend Skegness either.
Over on the r/CasualUK Subreddit, one visitor described it as ‘brilliant,’ writing: ‘There’s so much for the kids to do and the beach is one of the most beautiful in the UK. It’s tatty for sure, but it’s super kid-friendly, really clean, and everyone is lovely.’
Another, who reminisced on nostalgic days they enjoyed there as a child, added: ‘I still go for at least a day out with my family every single year. I love it, it’s like a second home for me.’
It was similarly high praise for @EggYuk, who claimed to have had the ‘best week’s holiday’ of their ‘life’ in Skeggy.
They said: ‘Penny falls, crazy golf, icy waves, doughnuts, camel races, the funfair, donkey rides, kite flying, trays of chips, silly hats, ice creams…there were tears when we had to come home,’ noting that their children ‘begged’ to visit the following year.
More Trending
-
Couple turn garden shed into £2,000 home to help save for a house
Channel: Property Property 9 hours ago By Metro Lifestyle reporter - Full list of areas in the UK targeted in ‘dodgy’ Fire TV stick crackdown
- I live in an abandoned school - this is the creepiest thing about it
- What I Rent: We have mould and single glazing — but we love our £1,200 pcm Bristol flat
‘Is Skeggy tacky? Yes. And that’s just the way I like it.’
How much does it cost to live in Skegness?
According to the Office For National Statistics, rents in the wider East Lindsey area cost an average of £660 per month.
This has increased by an average of 2.4% over the last year, as in 2024, the going rate was £645 – but it’s still better than the situation down in London, where much of the city faces paying more than £2,150 monthly.
Deals of the Day
Boots Black Friday deals are live – shop top offers on fragrance, gift sets and more!
I found the ultimate pair of loafers you don’t need to break in
Breakdown drama? There’s an app for that – and it gets you help in minutes
Emma is celebrating 10 years of better sleep with free bedding bundles worth hundreds!
Sick of shaving? This at-home device will save you hundreds on hair removal
On the homeownership side of things, the average house in Skegness costs £218,000, dropping ever so slightly to £182,000 for first-time buyers.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Arrow MORE: Couple turn garden shed into £2,000 home to help save for a house
Arrow MORE: Inside the $2,590,000 abandoned New York mansion built for Wall Street titan
Arrow MORE: One in five first time buyers in the UK’s ‘broken’ property market are over 40
Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source The KeySign up for must-read property stories, DIY hacks and tips for buying a home.
Postcode ? Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy
