London rents 145% higher than in the North East

Average rent for a tenant in Greater London now accounts for 40% of income

Alex Johnson
Monday 18 March 2013 10:20 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The average cost of renting a home in the capital is now £1,242 a month, according to new figures from HomeLet. The increase of 7.3 per cent in February is more than any other region's, while average rents in the North East have droppedby 3.3 per cent over the past year to £505 per month.

In the UK as a whole, the average cost of renting a home increased by 3.9 per cent to £777 a month, although rents fell in Wales by 6.6 per cent to £542 per month.

“There is a clear North/South divide within the lettings industry with regards to rental amounts," said Ian Fraser, HomeLet’s Managing Director. "However, even though tenants in the North East earn less than their counterparts in the capital, it appears they may have more disposable income. Our data shows an average tenant renting on their own in the North East pays around 27 per cent of their income towards rent. In contrast, the average rent for a tenant in Greater London would account for a substantial 40 per cent of their income.

“The difference between renting a home in Greater London and the rest of the UK  is now 89.9 per cent, the highest on record. With seven of the 12 UK regions already home to rents that are less than half those in the capital, it will only be a matter of time before rents in Greater London are double the overall average UK amount."

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in