Region's least affordable places to rent revealed

Hertfordshire is the least affordable county in the east of England for private rents, the Office for National Statistics said

People living in Hertfordshire spend more of their monthly income on rent than anywhere else in the east of England.

The Office for National Statistics said Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire were the only two counties in the region where private rents were not deemed "affordable", or below 30% of residents' gross monthly income, in the 2022-23 financial year.

Across the region, private rents in relation to income fell to their lowest level in the past nine financial years at 27.3%.

Despite the figures, letting agent Jon Gallop said lots of tenants were spending at least one third of their income on rent.

The least affordable district in the region was Hertsmere in Hertfordshire, where the average private tenant spent 36.6% of their income on rent.

At 19.6%, Fenland in Cambridgeshire and East Suffolk were the region's most affordable districts.

Mr Gallop, who runs the lettings team at Essex and Suffolk-based Palmer and Partners, said: "A lot of people are still spending a third of their gross salary on rent.

"If they're not, it's because they're renting something that's too small. If I list a property at 17:00, by 09:00 the following morning I'll have 30 to 40 inquiries."

Many landlords had recently sold their properties, he added.

Region's least affordable counties to rent

All eight counties in the east of England saw rents become slightly more affordable in the past financial year, except Northamptonshire which remained stable compared to the year before.

Counties listed from least to most affordable, in terms of private rents as a percentage of gross monthly income:

1. Hertfordshire: 32.1%

2. Buckinghamshire: 31.6%

3. Essex and Northamptonshire: 28.3%

4. Bedfordshire: 26%

5. Cambridgeshire: 24.6%

6. Norfolk: 23%

7. Suffolk: 22.8%

The Office for National Statistics said despite private rents increasing since 2015, incomes of private-renting households had increased at a faster rate.