Rent in Burnley rises 11% in past year
Rent in Burnley rose 11% over the past year, new figures show.
It comes as campaign group Generation Rent said it is "nonsensical" not to have price caps on rent increases, adding it "leads to poverty and homelessness".
Provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average private rent in Burnley reached £590 per month in the year to February – up 11% from £531 a year prior. It was also up 25% from an estimated £472 a month five years ago.
Data on rent prices is collected by the Valuation Office Agency from a variety of sources, including landlords and letting agents, with the aim of collecting data on approximately 10% of the market.
Across the North West, the average rent was £893 – rising 9% from the year before. Burnley had the lowest rental cost in the region, while the highest was in Trafford at £1,317.
The different costs for various homes in Burnley
- A detached housed cost £880 to rent per month
- A semi-detached cost £660 per month
- A terraced house was £580 per month
- A flat or maisonette was £494 a month
‘Government must act now’
Ben Twomey, chief executive of Generation Rent, said rents have outpaced people's wages for years.
He said: "They aren't going up so quickly anymore because, for too many of us, there is simply no money left.
"Renters cannot afford to wait any longer. Building affordable housing is welcome, but it will take years for renters to see the benefit."
He added the Government must act now to "slam the brakes on soaring rents".
"We have price caps on things like energy and water, but nothing to stop a landlord suddenly hiking the cost of someone's home. It’s nonsensical and leads to poverty and homelessness, rippling through people's lives," he said.