Rent in Milton Keynes rose seven per cent in the past year, new figures show.

Provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average private rent in Milton Keynes reached £1,267 per month in the year to last month – up from £1,184 a year prior.

It was also up 28 per cent from around £988 a month five years ago.

Valuation Office Agency rent officers collect prices from sources including landlords and letting agents to collect data on approximately 10 per cent of the market.

Average private rent in Milton Keynes reached £1,267 per month in the year to last month – up from £1,184 a year prior. Image Rui Vieira/ PA

placeholder image — Average private rent in Milton Keynes reached £1,267 per month in the year to last month – up from £1,184 a year prior. Image Rui Vieira/ PA

Across the South East, the average rent was £1,314 – rising eight per cent from the year before.

Elmbridge had the highest rent in the region at £1,822 per month, while the lowest was in the Isle of Wight at £831.

Generation Rent said rent has risen at a faster rate than wage growth across the UK.

Ben Twomey, chief executive, added: "This isn't news to renters, who have been feeling this squeeze for a very long time as our landlords snatch away more and more of our wages.

"The government’s Renters' Rights Bill, published last week, offers many positives for tenants, but the cost of renting crisis will rage on unless Westminster slams the brakes on these runaway rents."

He said the bill must contain protection from unaffordable rent rises and prevent rent rises going above wage growth or inflation.

"Alongside this, we desperately need more homes people can afford to live in, in the places people want to live, and we are pleased that the government have set out this long-term aim."

In August, the average private rent in Great Britain was £1,286 per month. This was £100 higher than 12 months ago.

Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: "A severe shortage of genuinely affordable social homes has forced millions of people to rely on the private rented sector, with rents continuing to soar as a result.

"With competition fierce, private renters have no choice but to pay over the odds just to keep a roof over their heads.

"Renters shouldn’t be forced out of their homes by eye-watering rent hikes but over 60,000 have lost their homes to big, unexpected jumps in rent in the past year alone."

She said long term action is needed to tackle rising rents, calling on the Government to invest in 90,000 new social homes for ten years.

The figures also show the different costs for various homes in Milton Keynes, from £913 for a one-bed property to £2,003 for those with four or more bedrooms in August.

Among the property types in the area:

A detached housed cost £1,861 to rent per month
A semi-detached cost £1,342 per month
A terraced house was £1,265 per month
And a flat or maisonette was £1,071 a month

A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "Our landmark Renters' Rights Bill will introduce extra protections against unreasonable rent increases that stop landlords using large increases to force tenants out."

They added landlords will only be able to raise rents once per year to market rates, and said it will empower tenants to challenge unreasonable increases at tribunals.

"We’ll also deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next five years, including the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation," they said.