Rent increases for tenants in private housing are outstripping inflation, according to the latest figures.
The Office for National Statistics found private rents rose by 2.4% in the 12 months up to June 2016 across the whole of Britain, while the consumer price index stood at 0.5% for the same month.
In England rents were up 2.5% while in Scotland they rose by just 0.1%, and Wales saw a fall of 0.1% over the previous year.
The biggest rent increases were in South East England where they went up 3.4%.
The Index of Private Housing Rental Prices (IPHRP) in Great Britain, Results: June 2016, published by the ONS, points to demand in the rental market outstripping supply as the main cause of the increases.
It says price increases in residential housing have been higher than in the private rent sector for several years, with an average 12-month rate of house price inflation between January 2013 and May 2016 of 5.9% compared with 2.1% for rental prices.
