Renters struggling to find homes as prices rise
BBCA couple who relocated to the north-east of England said they were struggling to find an affordable place to rent.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show private-sector rents in the region increased by 5.9% in the 12 months to May 2026, higher than the UK-average rise of 3.3%.
Trixie Wynn and her partner recently moved from Leicester to Newcastle and say they are being quoted "over a grand for a tiny, little flat".
The government said it was increasing investment in social and affordable housing and also strengthening legal protection for tenants with its Renters' Rights Act.
Wynn, a 21-year-old sales representative, said: "We're struggling to find a place to rent.
"It's the same for everyone my age - nothing in your price range."
She and her boyfriend are in a temporary Airbnb while they look for somewhere more permanent.
Armela Brakaj, 18, from Newcastle, lives with her parents and said the cost of housing was limiting her choices.
"I'm going to uni next year and I can't really move out because it's so expensive."
Staff and volunteers at Citizens Advice Newcastle said local rents had risen sharply in recent years putting household finances under severe strain.
The charity's research and campaigns manager, Hannah Cooper, said families with children were among those worst affected.
She said: "People are coming to us saying that their landlord has increased their rent by £200, £300 a month.
"What are their options? What can they do? They simply can't afford it."
Local letting agents said there was a shortage of rental homes in many parts of the region.
Pauline Carrera-Silva, head of residential lettings at H & H Land & Estates, which has offices across the North East and Cumbria, said rental properties in areas of high demand, including Carlisle and the Lake District, could attract scores of inquiries within days of being put on the market.
She said landlords selling their properties because of the government's move to strengthen tenants' rights and changes to tax rules was making the situation worse.
"We are finding that landlords are really considering whether to re-let their property or sell," she said.
"The ones that are selling we're not replacing at the rate they are leaving."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCG) said: "We are providing the biggest boost to social and affordable housing in a generation, and we have set out over a billion pounds for the North East Combined Authority to build these homes.
"Alongside this, to protect renters against excessive increases, we've brought in the landmark Renters' Rights Act which gives them stronger powers to challenge increases above market rate.
"There is no evidence of a landlord exodus."
