Average monthly rent hits record high of £816, highlighting housing shortage

Rents rose across most of England by averages of 6.3% and 8.5% in past year, say separate studies, but fell in the north-west, north-east and Wales

Inflation may have dipped into minus figures, but rents have leapt by an average of between 6.3% and 8.5% over the past year, according to two reports, highlighting the dramatic extent to which the cost of a place to live has uncoupled from the cost of living.

The average rent paid by private tenants in England and Wales reached a record high of 816 per month in September, compared with 768 a year earlier, said letting agents Your Move and Reeds Rains. Meanwhile, the latest official inflation figures showed UK prices were 0.1% lower than this time last year.