Rent in Northumberland costs a quarter of the average wage

Campaign group Generation Rent said the next government must tackle the cost of rent by building more homes and stopping landlords from raising rent above wage growth or inflation.

Office for National Statistics figures show the average rent in Northumberland was £586 a month in May.

Separate data from the ONS show the median wage for the same month was £2,224 in the county – meaning rent accounted for 26% of the monthly income for an average individual.

The figures are based on individual wages, cohabiting couples or those living in house shares will see rent shared between multiple wages.

Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said: “Prices in the shops may have stopped rising so quickly, but renters are still seeing our single biggest cost go up faster than our incomes.

“Landlords can raise the rent as high as they think they can get away with and use the threat of a no-fault eviction to bully their tenants to accept it.

“We won't fix the cost of renting crisis unless the next government acts to slam the brakes on these runaway rents.”

He said more homes are needed alongside protections against unaffordable rent increases.

“That means stopping landlords raising rent above wage growth or inflation, whichever is lower”, Mr Twomey added.

Rent in Northumberland has increased by five per cent from £559 a year ago and has jumped 22% from £482 when records started in 2015.

Across England, rent has increased by nine per cent from last year and 35% since 2015.