2 Bed Flats To Rent in Firbank, Westmorland and Furness

Firbank’s rental scene, and the wider South Lakeland district, sits inside the particular constraints of a national park. Firbank itself is so small that separate rental data is thin on the ground, so the broader South Lakeland figures give the clearest picture for prospective tenants. As of January 2024, the average house price in South Lakeland was £298,409, with detached homes at £465,562, semi-detached properties at £280,309, terraced houses at £222,082 and flats at £165,372. Put simply, rental demand is shaped by Lake District pricing and the limited amount of new housing inside the national park boundary.

House prices in South Lakeland fell by 2.2% over the twelve months to January 2024, a small easing that can make rental negotiations a little less stiff. The district saw 1,600 property sales in that period, so the market was active even with the economic drag. For tenants, that can mean landlords are more open to discussion on terms. Around Firbank, homes are usually stone cottages or converted farm buildings, built in local slate, limestone and rendered stone, while the local economy leans on agriculture, tourism and the services that feed the Lake District National Park, with sheep farming still at its core.

New build activity in Firbank is virtually non-existent because the village sits within the Lake District National Park, where planning controls are strict and development is closely managed. That leaves the rental stock dominated by older homes, often pre-dating 1919, which brings plenty of character but also questions over modern comfort and energy performance. In practice, we are far more likely to see detached and semi-detached houses, usually farmhouses or cottages, with very few flats or terraced properties in a settlement this rural. Rents reflect that scarcity, and the premium attached to national park living.

Rural life here moves at a gentler pace, with the seasons changing the fells and meadows around Firbank in obvious, dramatic ways. The civil parish covers a stretch of countryside in the middle of South Lakeland, giving residents the chance to live in one of Britain’s most striking landscapes while still reaching essential services in nearby towns. There is a proper sense of local familiarity too, with people knowing one another and village events drawing the community together through the year. For some, that is the appeal, a quieter life without losing touch with culture or day-to-day practicality.

Agriculture, tourism and the service businesses that support Lake District visitors keep Firbank and the surrounding area moving. Sheep farming still shapes the land, along with drystone walls and the field patterns that give the place its settled rural look. The River Lune nearby adds to the scenery and also reminds us how sensitive this part of the world is. Cumbria’s geology is varied, with slate, limestone and sandstone all playing a part in building traditions and farming practices. Local work tends to sit with small firms, farms, hospitality and the services that support both residents and the steady stream of visitors.

Firbank itself has only limited amenities, which is no surprise given its size, but everyday needs are covered well enough in the surrounding area. Kendal and Kirkby Lonsdale are the obvious market towns to turn to, with supermarkets, independent shops, healthcare and leisure facilities all within a short drive. Kendal, often called the Gateway to the Lakes, has the larger retail offer, while Kirkby Lonsdale has a more intimate mix of shops and cafes. Across South Lakeland there are also museums, galleries, theatres and restaurants, and outdoor types are spoilt for choice with footpaths, cycle routes and recreation on the doorstep.

Education reflects the rural setting. Primary schools are available in nearby villages and small towns, while secondary pupils usually travel to larger settlements. Families renting in Firbank should look carefully at catchment areas and transport arrangements, because the spread-out nature of the Lake District can make school journeys much longer than they would be in town. South Lakeland schools generally perform well, with several primaries in the area rated good or outstanding by Ofsted, a sign of the commitment shown by staff in these smaller communities. School bus services are well established for secondary and further education students travelling from villages to the market towns.

Nearby primary options include schools in Old Hutton, Levens and Storth, each serving its local community and keeping the small class sizes that often define rural education. Old Hutton Church of England Primary School is one choice for younger children, while Levens County Primary School offers another local route with clear community ties. Those schools tend to benefit from close parental involvement and strong local support. For secondary education, families usually look towards Kendal, where Kirkbie Kendal School, Queen Elizabeth School in Kirkby Lonsdale and Dallam School serve the wider South Lakeland area. Queen Elizabeth School has a solid standing with local families, and Kirkbie Kendal School offers a broad secondary curriculum with GCSE and A-Level options.

Post-16 choices are led by Kendal College, which offers vocational and academic courses for school leavers and adult learners, including construction, hospitality and business studies. Higher education is also within reach, with the University of Cumbria’s campuses in Carlisle and Lancaster providing another path, and Lancaster is the more convenient of the two from Firbank. Families thinking about a move will want to factor in journey times and transport costs, especially if children are likely to travel a fair distance for school or college. Grammar schools in the region, including Trinity School in Carlisle for those who pass the entrance examination, add another option, although the distances involved may mean boarding has to be considered.

Transport from Firbank mirrors the village’s rural position in the Lake District, so private cars do most of the heavy lifting and public transport plays a smaller role. The village sits away from main arterial roads, which means a short run along country lanes before reaching the A-roads that link to the M6 motorway at junction 36 near Kendal. That peace and quiet comes with a price, of course, because commuting to larger employment centres takes planning and a realistic view of travel times. The nearest mainline stations are at Oxenholme (Kendal) and Lancaster, both on the West Coast Main Line with connections to Manchester, London, Glasgow and Birmingham.

Public transport does exist in the Firbank area, but it is limited and geared more to occasional trips than daily commuting. Bus services, including the 552 and related routes, link the village with nearby towns and villages, giving access to supermarkets, healthcare and other essentials without the need for a car every time. Stops are available within the village, though some services run only two or three times a day, so they suit shopping and appointments better than a regular work commute. For most people on standard office hours, a car is close to essential. Cycling is useful for leisure and for short local journeys, with the terrain around the village being manageable for most riders.

Remote workers and home-based businesses can do well here, especially as ultrafast broadband is becoming more widely available across South Lakeland. The Lake District’s status as a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site has drawn investment into digital infrastructure, partly because so many people now work from home. Parking is rarely a headache in a place this low-density, unlike in town. Journey times from Firbank are roughly 20 minutes to Kendal, 45 minutes to Lancaster, 90 minutes to Manchester and around 3 hours to London by train from Oxenholme. The nearest mainline station at Oxenholme (Kendal) is about 30 minutes away by car, with direct services to London Euston in around 3 hours and to Manchester Piccadilly in approximately 90 minutes.

Before renting in Firbank, it helps to look closely at the property’s construction and general condition. The village stock is mostly traditional stone cottages and agricultural conversions dating from before 1919, so there is plenty of charm, but there can also be issues such as penetrating damp, older electrical systems and less insulation than modern homes provide. Roofs deserve careful checking too, because slate is common in the area and older buildings can suffer from slipped slates or worn leadwork. Timber elements may also show rot or woodworm, both of which call for professional attention and ongoing upkeep.

Damp is one of the most common problems in Firbank’s older homes, and penetrating damp is especially likely where stone buildings take the full force of the weather coming in from the Irish Sea. Hillside properties, which are common in and around the village, may also suffer from wind-driven rain getting into porous stone or failed mortar joints. Rising damp can show up where a property has no effective damp-proof course, something often missing from buildings put up before modern regulations. Condensation is another familiar issue in homes with poor ventilation, especially during the cold, damp Lake District winters. Timber can be affected as well, with wet rot, dry rot and woodworm all capable of damaging structural and non-structural elements.

Older Firbank properties often need attention to electrics and plumbing, and many homes still have fuse boards and wiring that pre-dates modern safety standards. Some may only have single-phase electricity supplies, which can be a problem for modern high-demand appliances, and the cost of re-wiring or upgrading consumer units can be significant. Plumbing is another point to watch, especially where galvanized steel or lead pipework, common in pre-1960s construction, has corroded and started to affect pressure or water quality. The wider Cumbria geology, with its mix of igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks, can also shape ground conditions. While detailed clay-related shrink-swell data for Firbank itself is not provided, clay-rich areas can create subsidence risks for older homes with shallow foundations. With that age profile, a full pre-tenancy inspection is well worth doing.

Budgeting for a rental in Firbank means looking well beyond the monthly rent, because the upfront bill can run into several thousand pounds depending on the property. The first cost is often a holding deposit, usually one week’s rent, which is either refunded when the tenancy starts or taken off the main security deposit. That main deposit is capped at five weeks’ rent under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 and must be protected in a government-approved scheme, such as the Deposit Protection Service, MyDeposits or Tenancy Deposit Scheme, within 30 days of receipt. With two-bedroom properties in South Lakeland typically renting for £700-£950 per month, a five-week deposit would come to between £807 and £1,096.

For older traditional homes such as the stone cottages common in Firbank, extra costs can follow from age and condition, and they should be built into any budget from the outset. Properties with poor insulation may mean sharply higher heating bills through the cold Lake District winters, because solid stone walls are generally less thermally efficient than modern cavity-wall construction. Outdated electrics may need upgrading before appliances can be used properly, and ageing plumbing can bring low water pressure or water quality issues. Insurance premiums in the Lake District can also be higher than the national norm, because of flood risk, theft from isolated properties and the expense of repairing traditional buildings with the right materials and specialist contractors.

After the rent and council tax, the ongoing costs usually include utility bills, which can be noticeably higher in older homes with poor insulation, contents insurance, which is strongly advised and often required, and any maintenance duties set out in the tenancy agreement. In a national park location like Firbank, some homes are listed buildings, so even relatively small changes, such as putting up shelves or hanging pictures, may need landlord consent. Energy Performance Certificate ratings matter too, especially where older Firbank properties are concerned, because ratings of E, F, or G are not uncommon and can affect both heating costs and the landlord’s ability to let the home legally. Planning for those costs gives a more honest picture of what renting really costs in this beautiful rural spot, where the lifestyle benefits have to be weighed against the practical job of maintaining an older property in a sensitive landscape.