Why identical flats in the same building rent for different prices

Two flats with the same floor plan in the same building routinely rent for meaningfully different amounts, and it isn't random. Floor level matters — higher floors with a view or better light command a premium, while ground floor units near communal entrances or bin stores often rent for less.

Aspect plays a bigger role than most landlords expect. A south-facing flat with natural light through the afternoon consistently lets faster and for slightly more than a north-facing equivalent, even when every other spec is identical on paper.

Noise sources — a lift shaft, a main road, a bar below street level — also show up in how long a property takes to let, even if the eventual achieved rent doesn't move much. When valuing a property, it's worth comparing it against the closest possible match in the same building, not just the same postcode, before settling on an asking price.