Tenants spending 36% of income on rent

Admin

August 20, 2025
3 min read

Renting in England is becoming unaffordable as the latest figures show that tenants are paying an average of 36% of their income on rent. That figure rises to 41.6% for Londoners. For people earning a median salary, 36.3% of income was being spent on an average-priced rented home in 2024 in England. That is up from 34.2% in 2023 according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The figures for the financial year reveal that rental prices in England are climbing beyond a 30% rent to income threshold that would be considered affordable by the ONS. The latest data supports those who call for regulations in the sector and make it more affordable for tenants.

London Cinemas Under Threat of Closures by 2026

A deep dive into the challenges facing the capital’s historic cinemas.

Thorne Island’s £3m Restoration into Luxury Retreat

How a historic island fortress is being transformed into an exclusive getaway.

A10 to See Extension of Average Speed Cameras

Plans for new speed cameras raise concerns among commuters and motorists.

London was the least affordable area. Rents there are an average of £1,957 per month, forcing tenants to spend an average of 41.6% of their income on it.

What’s more, of the ten least affordable councils, all were in London. Kensington & Chelsea tops the list, with renters having to spend 74.3% of their gross earnings on rent. This was followed by Westminster (55.8%), Wandsworth (54%), Camden (51.7%), Hammersmith and Fulham (51.3%), Haringey (48.3%), Lambeth (47.1%), Merton (46.8%), Islington (45.5%) and Richmond (45.3%).

All 32 council areas in London have been higher than the 30% affordability threshold for eight of the nine financial years from the end of 2016 to 2024, according to the ONS bulletin.

Outside the capital, the least affordable regions were Bristol (44.6%), Bath and North East Somerset (42.7%), Brighton (42.7%) and Trafford (41.3%), as well as Sevenoaks (42%) and Watford (41%).

Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.