The typical property in AB16
Northfield and Mastrick, post-war Aberdeen council estates on the city's north-west edge, where rental yields are high and average prices among the city's lowest.
Area summary
AB16 covers the Northfield, Mastrick, Sheddocksley, Cummings Park and Summerhill districts on the north-western edge of Aberdeen. The stock is dominated by 1950s and 1960s former local-authority housing, semi-detached and terraced houses, with a meaningful share of four- and six-storey post-war flats around the original estate centres. Substantial Right-to-Buy stock has been in private hands since the 1980s.
The postcode is more deprived than the Aberdeen average. The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation places several data zones within AB16 in the lower deciles for Scotland. School catchment is for Northfield Academy and Bucksburn Academy.
Major employment within or adjacent to the postcode is light industrial and retail (Mastrick shopping district, the Asda at the bottom of the Foresterhill hill on the AB25/AB16 boundary, and a tail of energy-services contractors based around the Howe Moss industrial estate in AB21 to the north).
The investment thesis here is yield rather than capital growth: gross yields above 8% are common in mid-rise flats around Northfield Drive. Demand is local working-tenant rather than student, distinct from the AB24 student market.
What the data shows
Researched facts
- Aberdeen City Council maintains a register of HMOs across the city; landlords letting to three or more unrelated tenants require a Mandatory HMO Licence under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006., source
- Northfield Academy is one of the secondary schools served by AB16 and operates under Aberdeen City Council's catchment system., source
- The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation 2020 (the most recent full edition at time of writing) identifies several data zones in AB16 in the 20% most-deprived deciles of Scotland., source
Buyer notes
- A high proportion of the post-war flats have been classified by surveyors as non-traditional construction; this can materially restrict mortgage availability. Confirm the construction type before committing.
- Some flat blocks in the postcode have outstanding common-charge or factor arrears; ask for a written breakdown of recent factoring statements before exchange.
- The buy-to-let yield premium reflects real demand-side caution; tenancy turnover is higher than in the inner city and management costs scale with that.
The full AB16 data page
Sold price history, crime totals, EPC distribution, council tax bands and more, pulled live from HM Land Registry, Police UK and the EPC Register.
AB16 property dataNearby AB postcode districts
Compare AB16 with adjacent areas in the same postcode district.