'Unaffordable' rents well over a third of income

In Bristol, rent prices are now costing households well over a third of their income, with tenants spending 44.6 percent on rent in 2024, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Alongside London and Brighton, renting in Bristol is becoming less affordable, with Bristol and Bath ranking among the top 20 least affordable local authorities in the UK. Factors like having universities in the city and commuter routes to larger cities are driving up rent prices, while landlords are selling properties due to concerns about regulations and taxes, leading to rising rents and a shortage of rental properties.