Tenants outside London saw the sharpest rent hikes for at least six years

People who are seeing soaring prices for food and fuel are also seeing a steep jump in the price of renting their home. The price of privately renting a property is rising at a record rate for millions of households across the UK.

Private rent outside London increased by three per cent on average in the year to January, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data. That was the steepest rise over a 12-month period since comparable records began in 2016, and double the 1.5 per cent rise a year earlier.

Private tenants in London saw rent go up by a much smaller amount relative to other areas of the country, at 0.1 per cent. The ONS said this partly reflected a drop in demand as the rise in remote working due to Covid-19 meant people no longer needed to be as close to their offices.

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But even including the capital, average private rent grew by two per cent across the UK in the year to January, which was still the highest rate for around five years.

Inflated rental prices will add to the financial burden facing many households as energy bills, national insurance, food prices and other expenses add to a mounting cost of living crisis.

The pressures on family budgets come after the removal of the eviction ban, which was put in place to protect renters from losing their home during the pandemic. Eviction notice periods for tenants in England have also now returned to pre-pandemic levels, while extensions in Wales and Scotland are due to end in March.

The jump in the cost of living is putting household budgets under pressure, with some having to choose between heating and eating.

Here are some resources available if you need help.

Citizens Advice

Citizens Advice is an independent charity offering free, confidential support with legal, consumer, housing, debt and other problems. Its website details what help is available and where your nearest bureau is, for face-to-face advice.

Helpline: 0800 144 8848 in England / 0800 702 2020 in Wales (open 09.00 – 17.00 Monday-Friday)

The Trussell Trust

The Trussell Trust supports a national network of more than 1,200 food banks, providing emergency food for free to those who need it. You can use its website to locate support wherever you live.

Helpline: 0808 208 2138 (open 09.00 – 17.00 Monday-Friday)

Turn2us

Turn2us is a national charity providing practical support to people who are struggling financially. Its website includes a benefits calculator and details of schemes and grants in your area, including for energy and water bills.

Helpline: 0808 802 2000 (open 09.00 – 17.00 Monday-Friday)

Government figures show 9,626 court proceedings to evict tenants were started by private landlords across England and Wales between October and December 2021. That was close to the 10,067 during the same three-month period in 2019.

Dan Wilson Craw, deputy director of campaign group Generation Rent, said rents had been rising since late last summer as offices and universities reopened, driving demand in cities. He added: “This is now filtering through to existing tenancies as fixed terms end and we’re hearing from tenants whose landlords are asking for much higher rents.

“Many tenants will be in a position to negotiate a more affordable rent or challenge their landlord at a tribunal, but it is still too easy for landlords to effectively evict tenants by making their home too expensive. The Government is planning reforms to give renters more certainty and reduce the threat of eviction. To achieve this, it must make sure tenants are properly protected from unaffordable rent hikes.”

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A spokesperson for the National Residential Landlords Association called on ministers to take urgent action to expand the private rented sector to help meet demand. The ONS figures show that private rents rose by an average of 2.6 per cent across Scotland in the year to January, while they went up by two per cent in England. But the rise was a more modest 1.4 per cent in Wales, which was slightly lower than 1.6 per cent a year earlier.

Among England’s nine regions, the East Midlands saw the largest rent hike, at 3.6 per cent. That was followed by 3.5 per cent in the South West, and 3.4 per cent across the East of England.

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A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “We recognise people are facing pressures with the cost of living, which is why support is available through Discretionary Housing Payments, the additional £65 million funding for renters in arrears and the £500 million Household Support Fund, of which £421 million will go to help vulnerable people in England. Our Private Rented Sector White Paper in the spring will set out reforms to make renting fairer for all, including cracking down on rogue landlords and banning section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions to protect tenants.”

For more stories from where you live, visit InYourArea.

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https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/tenants-outside-london-saw-sharpest-23273053

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