Private renters in Tonbridge and Malling are facing some of the sharpest rent increases in the county, according to new figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The average private rent in the borough has risen by £100 a month over the past year, reaching £1,457. That’s a 7.4% increase in the 12 months to August — well above the national average rise of 5.7%.
The figures mean renters here are now paying around £1,200 more each year compared with 2023, putting further pressure on household budgets already stretched by the cost of living.
Across Kent, only Tunbridge Wells and Medway recorded higher increases. Tunbridge Wells saw the sharpest rise, with tenants forking out an extra £129 a month (a 9.6% increase), while Medway rents climbed by £109 a month (up 9.8%).
By contrast, the average UK rent rose by £73 a month to £1,348.
Housing charities have warned that such steep rises risk pushing more people into housing insecurity and even homelessness. The warning comes as wage growth fails to keep up, with ONS figures showing average earnings across the UK increased by just 4.8% in July.
The data also highlights the wider pressures on private renters. In 21 local authority areas across the UK, annual rent inflation has now hit double figures, and in 51 areas, tenants are facing bills at least £100 higher each month. Newport has seen the steepest increase nationwide.
For renters in Tonbridge and Malling, the latest figures underline a worsening affordability gap — with rent rises outpacing pay packets and adding to the financial strain of everyday life.
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