Private Rents in England are Unaffordable, say Shelter

Private rents are now unaffordable in 55% of local authorities in England, according to Shelter.

Homes in these areas cost more than 35% of the average local take-home pay (the level considered unaffordable by Shelter’s Private Rent Watch report).  It said private rents in 8% of England’s local authorities were “extremely unaffordable” – with average rents costing at least half of full-time take-home pay.

The charity said 38% of families with children who rent privately have cut back on buying food to help pay rent.

Recent research by the housing charity has discovered that just 12% of areas in England have affordable rents.

Shelter’s research found rents had risen at one-and-a-half times the rate of incomes in the 10 years up to 2007.