Brighton & Hove Residents Face High Rent Burden

Government statistics indicating Brighton & Hove as one of England’s least affordable locations for property rental have drawn concern from local residents. Data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) for the period ending April 2024 shows that households in the East Sussex city allocate an average of 44.7% of their gross income to rent. This percentage ranks as the fourth highest for any authority nationwide, surpassed only by Manchester, Westminster, and Kensington. A government spokesperson stated that the proposed Renters’ Rights Bill aims to “fundamentally reform the private rented sector, empowering tenants to tackle unreasonable rent hikes and banning unfair bidding wars”. Blyth Eling, a student at the University of Brighton, pays more than £1,000 monthly for a room in a shared flat. She informed BBC Radio Sussex that her housing expenses consume “pretty much all of my student loan”. Eling added: “It leaves me with virtually no spending money. “I find that really difficult as I’ve had to get a part-time job four days per week alongside my studies.”It’s just terrible, really”.” Artist Steve Hogg, who receives disability allowance, pays £700 each month for his bedsit in Hove. Hogg stated that he and fellow tenants face eviction due to the landlord’s decision to sell the property. He described the process of securing new rental accommodation as “tricky”. Mr Hogg commented: “Brighton is ludicrously expensive. “It is soul-destroying looking for another place. The costs are just out of this world.” An individual, who relocated to Brighton after residing with family, informed the BBC: “Brighton is expensive to rent. And you don’t really get that extra pay that you would get in London to make up for it.” The ONS identified Hastings as the sole “affordable” area for private rental within Sussex, where households allocate an average of 28.3% of their gross income to housing. Paul Steedman, director of the countryside charity CPRE Sussex, stated: “We need local authorities to require developers to provide a higher proportion of affordable housing.” A spokesperson for Brighton & Hove City Council affirmed its “committed to improving conditions in the private rental sector”.