HOW MUCH DO TENANTS SPEND ON RENT?

Our latest delve into our new source of rental data reveals more insight into the profile of tenants across the country. Specifically, we have looked at the proportion of income that tenants spend on their rent. This approach results in lower proportions than are often quoted – always remembering that if a household member stops earning for any reason, the burden on the remaining earner will shoot up. Across England and Wales in 2017, tenants paid an average of 28% of their gross income on their share of the rent. There are understandably regional variations. In London, tenants pay an average of 31% of their gross income on their rent while in the North East, the proportion is 24%. Income to rent ratios are typically based on households or, if they are tenant specific, compare incomes to the total property rent. But many households have more than one earner contributing to the rent. Our analysis looks at the proportion of income in relation only to their share of the rent.