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Average rent for two bedroom apartments now more than a third of earnings in 30 South East local authorities

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The average rents for two bedroom apartments has risen to more than a third of gross average earnings of residents in 30 South East local authorities.

In Brighton and Hove the average rent for a two bedroom property is 47% of the gross average earnings of residents of the borough. This is the highest in the South East.

Next highest are 46% in Woking, 43% in Epsom and Ewell and Mole Valley, 42% in Guildford, 41% in Oxford, 40% in Crawley, Spelthorne and Tandridge and 39% in Slough.

In the South East as a whole, workers are paying out 32.9% of their earnings on rent, up from 28.7% in 2011. This is significantly higher than the England average figure of 26%.

Set out in the table below are the 2016 figures for 62 local authorities where data are available with comparable figures for 2011 for a two bedroom property. Set out in notes to editors are the figures for a one and three bedroom properties.

The tables have been compiled by GMB Southern region, see notes to editors for sources and definitions.

Rank   2011 Median Rent 2011 Median monthly earnings % 2016 Median Rent 2015 Median Monthly Earnings %
   South East 700  2,441  28.7  825  2,506  32.9
1 Brighton and Hove UA 900 2,335 38.5 1,100 2,359 46.6
2 Woking 950 2,486 38.2 1,200 2,616 45.9
3 Epsom and Ewell 950 3,156 30.1 1,250 2,914 42.9
4 Mole Valley 900 2,678 33.6 1,100 2,585 42.6
5 Guildford 1,000 2,799 35.7 1,195 2,821 42.4
6 Oxford 920 2,325 39.6 1,050 2,557 41.1
7 Crawley 795 2,204 36.1 950 2,365 40.2
8 Spelthorne 895 2,782 32.2 1,150 2,863 40.2
9 Tandridge 850 2,386 35.6 1,050 2,635 39.9
10 Slough UA 795 2,232 35.6 925 2,365 39.1
11 Adur 725 1,777 40.8 825 2,116 39
12 Sevenoaks 845 2,725 31 995 2,561 38.9
13 Reading UA 795 2,363 33.6 950 2,446 38.8
14 South Bucks 900 2,852 31.6 1,100 2,859 38.5
15 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 1,045 3,121 33.5 1,150 3,098 37.1
16 Chichester 745 2,333 31.9 850 2,321 36.6
17 Rushmoor 750 2,260 33.2 850 2,343 36.3
18 Arun 695 1,900 36.6 750 2,082 36
19 Elmbridge 950 3,329 28.5 1,150 3,215 35.8
20 Bracknell Forest UA 800 2,503 32 925 2,601 35.6
21 Southampton UA 695 1,979 35.1 765 2,160 35.4
22 Lewes 750 2,331 32.2 850 2,405 35.4
23 Dartford 650 2,504 26 850 2,447 34.7
24 Milton Keynes UA 660 2,358 28 800 2,318 34.5
25 Wycombe 750 2,730 27.5 925 2,700 34.3
26 Reigate and Banstead 825 2,896 28.5 1,000 2,931 34.1
27 South Oxfordshire 775 2,670 29 900 2,652 33.9
28 Mid Sussex 780 2,490 31.3 895 2,643 33.9
29 Eastbourne 675 1,958 34.5 750 2,219 33.8
30 Vale of White Horse 750 2,580 29.1 895 2,677 33.4
31 New Forest 695 2,299 30.2 775 2,342 33.1
32 Cherwell 675 2,325 29 795 2,431 32.7
33 Basingstoke and Deane 750 2,467 30.4 850 2,610 32.6
34 Aylesbury Vale 650 2,584 25.2 795 2,479 32.1
35 East Hampshire 720 2,516 28.6 795 2,481 32
36 West Berkshire UA 700 2,500 28 850 2,667 31.9
37 Waverley 875 2,848 30.7 995 3,129 31.8
38 Chiltern 850 3,172 26.8 1,025 3,231 31.7
39 Havant 650 2,116 30.7 725 2,289 31.7
40 Wokingham UA 825 3,038 27.2 995 3,153 31.6
41 Portsmouth UA 630 2,025 31.1 695 2,205 31.5
42 Surrey Heath 825 2,769 29.8 900 2,857 31.5
43 Gravesham 625 2,481 25.2 750 2,392 31.4
44 Thanet 525 1,835 28.6 600 1,914 31.3
45 Eastleigh 675 2,305 29.3 775 2,480 31.2
46 Wealden 695 2,458 28.3 775 2,509 30.9
47 Tonbridge and Malling 725 2,715 26.7 895 2,916 30.7
48 Tunbridge Wells 795 2,769 28.7 900 2,944 30.6
49 West Oxfordshire 725 2,439 29.7 800 2,651 30.2
50 Maidstone 675 2,479 27.2 750 2,486 30.2
51 Rother 600 2,118 28.3 650 2,161 30.1
52 Fareham 675 2,388 28.3 750 2,509 29.9
53 Ashford 640 2,199 29.1 695 2,329 29.8
54 Hart 795 3,139 25.3 900 3,020 29.8
55 Canterbury 695 2,509 27.7 795 2,696 29.5
56 Gosport 625 1,967 31.8 673 2,286 29.4
57 Test Valley 695 2,213 31.4 750 2,619 28.6
58 Hastings 525 1,868 28.1 580 2,032 28.5
59 Isle of Wight UA 550 1,991 27.6 595 2,097 28.4
60 Medway UA 595 2,346 25.4 675 2,433 27.7
61 Swale 595 2,429 24.5 660 2,471 26.7
62 Shepway 550 2,163 25.4 565 2,353 24

Paul Maloney, GMB Southern regional secretary, said, “These figures demonstrate the extent of the squeeze felt by workers and their families in the South East since the financial crisis in 2008. Rents have surged upwards as pay has been stagnant or falling.

They show that a massive programme to build more homes, especially homes for rent, by the South East authorities is absolutely essential in all parts of the region and has to get underway without delay.

We have been talking about this problem for far too long, there can be no excuses for not providing housing to people that they can afford to live in on average wages.

The decisions of the Thatcher government in the 1980’s to sell council housing stock,  and not replace it, and to pay landlords housing benefit instead of providing social housing directly has been a huge and expensive mistake.

Last year, for example, £24 billion was spent on housing benefit, with much of this public money ending up untaxed in bank accounts in offshore tax havens. If a fraction of that amount had been spent on social housing for rent, the strain on the tax payer would be less and people would have housing they can afford to live in.

These mistakes need to be corrected without delay, fair and affordable housing is a basic aspiration for all.”

Contact: Paul Maloney on 07801 343839 or Michelle Gordon on 07866 369259

 

Notes to Editors:

1) Source: Private Rental Market Summary Statistics; Valuation Office Agency © Crown copyright 2016.

The data is collected by the Valuation Office for the purpose of supporting the Local Housing Allowance – used to work out how much Housing Benefit is paid if renting from a private landlord.  This is the primary purpose of the data and as a result the samples from year to year can vary so the data provides a snapshot on the market rather than a comprehensive study of all prices. The data used to generate these statistics are based on a sample of rental information, collected by Rent Officers from landlords and letting agents.

One Bedroom self-contained properties with one bedroom including houses, bungalows, flats and maisonettes.

Two Bedrooms self-contained properties with two bedrooms including houses, bungalows, flats and maisonettes.

Three Bedrooms self-contained properties with three bedrooms including houses, bungalows, flats and maisonettes.

2) Earnings data is from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2011 and 2015, Office for National Statistics. Data is for gross median annual pay for all full time employees by place of residence.

3) Table showing proportion of median rent to median earnings of full-time workers for 1 and 3 bedroom properties

2016 proportion of average rent to average earnings
  1 bedroom 3 bedrooms
South East 25.9 39.7
Brighton and Hove UA 33.9 59.1
Mole Valley 32.8 58
Woking 34.2 53.3
Epsom and Ewell 33.5 51.5
Tandridge 29.4 51.2
Sevenoaks 29.7 50.8
Slough UA 30.7 50.7
Oxford 34.2 49.9
Adur 30.7 49.6
Guildford 31.9 49.4
Crawley 32.8 48.6
South Bucks 29.7 47.2
Spelthorne 31.3 47.2
Rushmoor 29.7 47
Elmbridge 27.2 46.5
Wycombe 26.9 46.3
Bracknell Forest UA 28.8 46.1
Mid Sussex 26.3 45.4
Reading UA 32.5 45
Dartford 27.6 45
Lewes 27.2 44.7
Windsor and Maidenhead UA 26.6 44.7
Reigate and Banstead 26.4 44.2
Chichester 28 44.2
South Oxfordshire 28.3 43.6
Arun 26.4 43.2
Chiltern 24.3 43.2
Waverley 24.8 41.5
Southampton UA 26.6 41.4
Tunbridge Wells 23.3 40.8