Houses To Rent in Manaton, Teignbridge

Manaton’s rental market mirrors the wider feel of this small Dartmoor village, with most available homes built in the traditional stone style, often showing rendered granite rubble walls and thatched or slate roofs. Because 100% of recent property transactions in the TQ13 9UL postcode area were detached properties, renters are likely to find that most available homes are sizeable detached houses with generous gardens and views over the moor. Add in the village’s Conservation Area status and twelve Listed Buildings, including the Grade I listed St Winifred's Church, and it is clear that many rental properties here will be period homes that need careful upkeep and, at times, specialist survey attention.

Purchase prices give a useful clue to what sits behind the rental market. Over the last year, the average house price in Manaton has been about £456,667, while other figures put average values closer to £588,449 across the wider TQ13 area. Detached homes average around £622,500, and flats in the area have sold for roughly £125,000. Recent individual sales include semi-detached properties at £565,000 in January 2024 and £590,000 in December 2020, which shows how strongly priced even smaller homes can be in this sought-after spot. In the TQ13 9UL postcode, values have held up well over time, rising by 46.6% over the past decade and 27.1% over the past five years, even with a recent 0.5% fall over the past year and a wider market correction of 23% against the previous year. For renters, that points to demand that is still firmly backed by people wanting Dartmoor National Park living.

Manaton has the quiet, enduring feel of a traditional Devon village, wrapped in some of the most dramatic scenery in southern England. In the centre, a cluster of historic granite buildings, many from the 15th, 17th, and 18th centuries, gives the place a strong sense of age, and the Conservation Area designation has helped keep that character intact. Historic England lists plenty of Grade II buildings here, including North Heathercombe, Neadon Upper Hall, and the Water Cottages, all of which speak to the village’s architectural pedigree. Even the Domesday Book of 1086 recorded Manaton as a settled place with 13 households, so this is nothing new.

Life in Manaton is closely tied to the outdoors. Walking, cycling, and horse riding are all part of the routine for residents and visitors, and the village pub gives people a place to meet over a meal or a social evening. Just beyond the village, moorland walks open up towards places such as Lustleigh, with its cricket pitch and thatched cottages, and other nearby routes with packhorse bridges and plenty of rural charm. Tourism, agriculture, and small local businesses shape the local economy, while many residents work from home or travel to Exeter or Plymouth. Facilities in the village are limited but practical, and Moretonhampstead, about 5 miles away, provides the everyday essentials, including a GP surgery, convenience stores, and a primary school. Bovey Tracey, often called the "Gateway to the Moors," adds cafes, art galleries, and a heritage railway station.

The village hall in Manaton is very much part of community life, with events and gatherings running through the year, and the cricket team brings people together on the local ground during the summer. From that pitch, the view across the moorland is one of the best in Devon, so a match is as much about the setting as the score. For something more cultural, Bovey Tracey has the House of Marbles and a number of art galleries, while the wider Teignbridge area offers theatres, cinemas, and other venues in Newton Abbot and Torquay. Dartmoor’s granite geology also brings a practical advantage, since properties in Manaton tend to have good natural drainage and a lower risk of shrink-swell subsidence than homes built on clay soils. That is a real comfort for tenants of period homes.

Families looking to rent in Manaton will find that Moretonhampstead Primary School sits within the catchment, serving children from the surrounding moorland villages. It takes pupils from Reception through to Year 6, and they usually move on to secondary schools across the wider Teignbridge area. The school has supported local communities for generations and keeps close links with villages including Manaton, Lustleigh, and Chagford. It is a reasonable daily drive from Manaton, although many families still factor school transport into their decision about where to rent.

For secondary education, Manaton falls within the Newton Abbot area, with bus services in place for students who do not attend one of the rural schools nearby. Teignbridge also has grammar schools in Newton Abbot and Kingsteignton, giving academic routes for pupils who meet the entrance requirements. Parents should check the latest catchment boundaries and admissions details with Devon County Council, as these can change and may depend on the exact location of a home in the Manaton area. King Edward VI Community College in Totnes is among the nearest mainstream options, and schools in Newton Abbot are also reachable by school transport. For sixth-form students, nearby market towns provide further education colleges and sixth-form provision, while Exeter and Plymouth remain available for specialist courses or vocational study.

Because Manaton is so rural, school transport and journey times need to be thought through before renting here, especially for families with children of school age. Devon County Council runs transport for eligible pupils, but journeys to secondary schools can still take 30-45 minutes each way. Parents should also look at before and after-school childcare, since limited public transport and variable working hours can make daily routines awkward. Some families rent in Manaton while their children are at primary school, then move closer to a secondary school once longer journeys start to feel harder to manage.

Transport links from Manaton reflect its moorland setting, so most residents depend on private cars for commuting and for day-to-day trips. The village sits about 5 miles from Moretonhampstead, where local buses connect into the wider Teignbridge area and on to Newton Abbot. From there, the A382 leads to the A38 dual carriageway at Heathfield, which opens up Exeter, Plymouth, and the national motorway network. By car, Exeter city centre is usually 35 to 40 minutes away, and Plymouth is around 40 minutes, so regular commuting is possible for people working in those cities. The A38 also links directly to the M5 motorway at Exeter.

For commuters heading to London and the southeast, Newton Abbot is the nearest mainline station, with regular services to Exeter St Davids, Plymouth, Bristol, and London Paddington. The trip to London Paddington takes around 3 hours, so weekly travel is within reach for people who need to be in the capital from time to time. Newton Abbot station is about 30 minutes from Manaton by car and has good parking for drivers. Exeter Airport is also about 30 minutes away and offers domestic flights plus limited international links, while Bristol Airport and Southampton Airport give further options for longer journeys. Cycling locally can be demanding, though, because the Dartmoor hills are steep, which is one reason electric bikes have become more popular with residents looking for a cleaner way to get around.

With public transport so thin on the ground, a vehicle is close to essential for most residents, and parking at any rental property should be checked during viewings. Some homes in the village centre have very little off-road parking, while others offer larger areas that can take several vehicles. If you plan to travel by bus, the Stagecoach services between Moretonhampstead and Newton Abbot are the main public transport link, although they do not run with urban frequency. Anyone working irregular hours, or needing regular access to services, should think carefully about how those transport options fit their day-to-day life before taking a rental in Manaton.

Renting in Manaton means thinking carefully about the realities of a Dartmoor village location. Most homes here are older period properties, and many will either be listed buildings or sit within the Conservation Area. Tenants should expect traditional construction, including rendered granite rubble walls and thatched or natural slate roofing materials. These houses have plenty of character, but they often need more maintenance awareness than newer homes, especially around roof condition, damp penetration, and the condition of original joinery and stonework. Our inspectors come across these building types regularly across the Dartmoor area, so we know the upkeep issues they tend to bring.

Dartmoor’s granite geology usually means a lower risk of shrink-swell subsidence than you would find in clay-rich areas, which is a helpful point for tenants of period homes. Even so, the rural setting means some properties may depend on private water supplies, septic tanks or private drainage systems, and oil or LPG gas for heating instead of mains services. Those arrangements should be checked in detail before committing to a tenancy, as they can have a big impact on running costs and maintenance responsibilities. Private water supplies need regular testing and upkeep, while septic tanks need emptying and scheduled maintenance. They are common in rural homes, but they are very different from the usual urban rental setup.

Historic England records show that Manaton has twelve Listed Buildings, among them the Grade I listed St Winifred's Church and a number of Grade II listed buildings across the village. Tenants in listed homes should remember that modifications and alterations may be restricted, and landlord consent can be needed for changes that would be routine in a non-listed property. The Conservation Area designation also brings controls over external alterations and work to trees. Knowing this in advance helps tenants understand what comes with renting a character property in a protected village. The rural location, and the exposure to moorland weather, also means homes may need strong heating and good insulation to stay comfortable through Dartmoor’s cold winters.

With limited public transport, having access to a car is practically essential for most residents, and parking at the property should be checked during any viewing. Some homes may have off-road parking, others only on-street parking, and some have very little at all, depending on where they sit in the village. If you have more than one vehicle, or expect regular visitors, it is worth confirming the parking arrangements before signing a tenancy. The lanes around Manaton are steep and narrow too, and winter ice or snow can make moorland roads difficult, so vehicle choice and driving confidence matter.

Getting the finances right is a key part of renting in Manaton, especially with the premium nature of homes in this sought-after Dartmoor village. In England, the standard security deposit for rented property is the equivalent of five weeks' rent, and it has to be protected in a government-approved deposit scheme within 30 days of receipt. For a typical Manaton rental, that amount is based on the advertised monthly rent, and the money is usually needed when the tenancy agreement is signed, alongside the first month's rent in advance. With local property values and the character of the homes on offer, prospective tenants should have savings set aside before they begin their search.

It is also wise to budget for tenant referencing fees, which pay for credit checks and employment verification and usually sit somewhere between £35-100 depending on the provider and the level of checking needed. Inventory check fees cover the professional report drawn up at the start and end of the tenancy, and they matter even more in Manaton, where stone walls, thatched roofs, and original windows need proper recording. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 limits some charges and bans others, so agents and landlords cannot charge beyond holding deposits, tenancy deposits, and rent, apart from limited cases such as missed rent payments or requests to end a tenancy early. Historic or listed buildings in Manaton may also need specific insurance arrangements, and tenants should be clear about their maintenance and repair responsibilities before they sign.

Once you have planned for those costs and for the moving expenses, settling into a Manaton home becomes much easier, and you can then focus on the Dartmoor lifestyle that village life offers. Initial set-up costs may include electricity, gas or oil, water, and internet, while homes on private water supplies or septic tanks may need ongoing testing and maintenance arrangements. Internet speeds can vary across Manaton because of its rural location, so if reliable connectivity matters to your day-to-day life, it is sensible to look into broadband options before you commit to a tenancy.