Bristol has surpassed London as the least affordable city for renters in the United Kingdom, with tenants now paying an average of £1,883 per month. According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, rent in Bristol amounts to 45% of the average local salary, compared to 42% in Greater London. While some areas of London remain far more expensive, the capital's average is lowered by more affordable boroughs such as Barking & Dagenham and Waltham Forest.
Why is Bristol so unaffordable?
Roma Sharma, managing director of property management company Rushbrook & Rathbone, told Metro that Bristol's affordability problem has been building for 'a number of years' and is primarily driven by demand consistently outpacing supply. 'It's a city with a strong employment market, thriving tech and creative sectors, as well as a large student population, all of which continue to attract new residents,' she said. 'At the same time, the delivery of new rental homes hasn't kept pace, creating intense competition for the stock that is available.'
Sharma explained that the situation is worsening because wage growth in Bristol has struggled to keep up with rental inflation. 'Until we see a meaningful increase in rental supply, whether through more housebuilding or greater investment in the private rented sector, affordability pressures are unlikely to ease,' she noted. 'In fact, there's every chance that more regional cities will face similar challenges over the coming years as demand continues to outweigh the availability of homes.'
What do locals say about renting in Bristol?
Metro spoke to several renters who wished to remain anonymous due to the risks of repercussions from landlords in a precarious rental market. One recent University of the West of England graduate reported that her property has a broken oven and a silverfish infestation, yet costs £1,850 per month split between three people. She pays £645 for the larger en-suite room, totalling more than £800 per month once council tax and bills are added. 'We're trying to take our landlord to court to get some money back,' she said. 'During university, it was standard to pay a high cost for the bare minimum due to the competitive nature of securing a contract. As a graduate, I thought it would be better, but I'm on around £26,000 paying a huge percent of my monthly salary for these conditions.'
A current student in Bristol said they have had to ask for support from their parents because their maintenance loan does not cover high rent costs. 'This year it costs £730 a month, and even with a part-time job, I can't cover these costs plus the high cost of living,' they said. 'While bills are included, our landlord had remote control over our heating using a smart meter. He capped it in the winter as he claimed we were using too much.'
A third renter, a young professional living with students, pays just over £700 for her space in a house share, plus bills. 'This brings my monthly cost of living in Bristol to just shy of £1,000 a month. Working a 35+ hour work week in a hospitality job means this far exceeds half of my income,' she said. 'My landlord decided to park his sports car in the garage, an area included in the rental agreement.'
Bristol Fair Renting Campaign
Stories like these have become increasingly common, prompting a group of tenants to form the Bristol Fair Renting Campaign, which demands action from the city's political leaders. 'Bristol renters can't keep up with this city's expensive and rising rents,' reads their petition, which has been signed by more than 4,000 people. 'A lot of us are living in poor and unsafe conditions, and we aren't able to challenge landlords or letting agents who fail to make repairs, because we are at risk of rent increases and eviction. And many of us are locked out of private renting altogether, due to the discrimination we face based on our age, sex, race, disability, type of employment or type of income.'
Decent landlords do exist in the city, though they can be hard to find. Writing for Metro earlier this year, Bristol resident Issy Packer said she has never had any problems, but admitted she has paid the equivalent of a house deposit to her landlord in the last five years. 'It's the best £32,000 I've ever spent,' she joked. Packer pays £1,112 a month, split with her sister, for a two-bed ground floor flat with a small garden. She said she would not be able to afford to buy a home in the city, where the average price is £354,000. 'Having lived here for over five years, I can't imagine sacrificing this location just so I could buy my own place at astronomical prices,' she said.
Under the Renters' Rights Act introduced in May, landlords can now only increase rent once a year. While the move has been welcomed by most, some say it is too little too late for the market in Bristol.
