‘AVERAGE private rents are unaffordable for ordinary working families in over half (55%) of local authorities in England,’ Shelter the housing charity said yesterday.
It added: ‘Recent research by Shelter showed that 38% of families with children who are renting privately have cut down on buying food to pay their rent.
‘With no cheaper alternative, ordinary people are forced to cut their spending on essentials like food and heating, or uproot and move away from jobs, schools and families.’
Meanwhile, an LSL Property Services report confirmed that private sector rents have reached a ‘new high in England and Wales’.
The report said that average private sector housing rents in England and Wales rose by yet another 0.7% last month bringing the total average rent increase to 4.3% over the last twelve months.
This means that average rent is £29 a month higher than September 2010.
In September, the average rent in England and Wales rose by 0.7% to £718 per month, exceeding the previous record high of £713 in August.
David Newnes, for LSL Property Services, said that one of the factors driving up rents was the high demand from people who were now unable to buy a home, and were being forced to rent instead.
Newnes said: ‘In many cases, buying a home is now cheaper on a monthly basis – provided renters can get past the stumbling block of the substantial deposit requirements.
‘For the majority, saving a £25,000 deposit is a Herculean task as inflation and rents climb – and most would-be buyers are biting the bullet and prolonging their stay in increasingly costly rental accommodation.’
London’s rents have risen at a faster rate than any other region, increasing by 5.8%.
However, David Brown from the LSL Property Services said: ‘It’s not just a regional phenomenon localised to London and the South East – rents are rising across the board.’
The figures showed that rents had risen in every area, six regions in England and Wales – London, the South East, Yorkshire and the Humber, the East of England, Wales and the East Midlands.
