Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of figures released by the Office for National Statistics on 20 March showing an average increase in monthly rent paid by tenants in the UK of 9 per cent in the year ending in February, including an increase to 10.6 per cent in London to an average monthly rent of £2,035.

The Government recognises the cost of living pressures that tenants are facing, and that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense.

Over the last two years, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to supporting the most vulnerable with one of the largest support packages in Europe. Taken together, total support between 2022 and 2025 to help households with the cost-of-living is worth £108 billion – an average of £3,800 per UK household.

Individuals who need help to make their rent payments may be eligible for a range of support through the welfare system. From April 2024, the Government will be spending £1.2 billion restoring Local Housing Allowance rates to the 30th percentile of local market rents. This significant investment means 1.6 million low-income households will gain, on average, nearly £800 per year in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. For those who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs and need more support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Household Support Fund grants are also available from local authorities.