Private sector tenants in rural areas are facing the brunt of growing rents, according to new research published today.

Whilst tenants across England report an average 17% increase in the cost of their rent over the past year, this jumps to 27% among those in rural areas.

The representative survey of over 2,000 private renters was carried out by the TDS Charitable Foundation which works to advance education about housing rights and obligations in the private rented sector.

Almost a third of tenants said it was now difficult or very difficult to afford their rent each month. Among student tenants and those affected by the housing benefit rate freeze, 40% said they were struggling to pay their rent.

Over half – 52% – of all tenants said they regularly cut back on household essentials such as food, heating and clothing in order to pay the rent. Some 40% said they were struggling to afford their utility bills.

The research found that among those who had moved into a private rented property in the previous six months, 82 per cent had experienced one or more challenges in securing a suitable property. Of note, 48% struggled to find anywhere affordable and 20% found it difficult to afford the deposit required.

The financial pressures faced by tenants are also diminishing their confidence to ever become homeowners. Whilst 44% said that they would like to own their own home, around a third (35 per cent) say that they now expect to be renters most of their life.

Dr Jennifer Harris, head of policy and research at TDS Group, said: “Our research paints a worrying picture of the difficulties many tenants now face in securing and affording suitable housing.

“Whilst the decision to unfreeze housing benefit rates is likely to provide some comfort, on its own it will not be the panacea renters need.

“Ahead of the election, all parties will need to work out how to improve affordability for tenants, whilst not undermining the supply of private rented housing when demand for it is so high.”