Data

For the 10th year in a row, Kensington and Chelsea remains the priciest borough for renters. Average fees hit £3,640 in March. Since March 2015 this has risen by £966, or 36 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics. This was the biggest increase in terms of raw fees, although the largest percentage jumps were recorded outside of London. Salford, near Manchester, saw average rental bills explode from £641 to £1,109 - a 73 per cent leap. Similarly high rises were observed in Lothian in Scotland (72.1 per cent to £1,424) and Leicester (71.2 per cent to £983). Another 112 other authorities also logged a rise above 50 per cent, MailOnline analysis shows.The largest like-for-like increases were seen outside the capital city. Scotland's Lothian has seen rent rocket up from £818 to £1424, a 42.5 per cent leap. Salford, near Manchester, has experienced a 42.3 per cent jump in average rental cost, while Leicester has also seen a 42 per cent rise from £570 to month on average to £983. The highest London percentage rise was Barking and Dagenham, which leapt 38.5 per cent over the period - the 24th highest rate in the country. The royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea has seen the largest raw figure monthly rent price increase, however, at £966. That is the equivalent of adding on the cost of an extra double room in a bedshare in the affluent South London area of Clapham....read