Bristol sees the second highest average rent increase across Great Britain
Bristol has seen the second biggest increase in private rents of anywhere in Great Britain over the last nine years, and the largest rise in the South West.
The average cost of renting in the city has risen by 62.9% between August 2015 and August 2019, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
By comparison, rents rose across Great Britain by 37.1% on average in the same period.
Rent increases across South Gloucestershire also are among the highest in the country, rising by the fifth most nationally.
The ONS' Price Index of Private Rents shows that between August 2015 and August 2024, the average rent in Bristol rose from £1,082 to £1,763.
In South Gloucestershire, rents increased from £830 to £1,334 over the time frame, a rise of 60.7%.
By comparison, the average rent in Great Britain rose from £938 to £1,286.
The local authority area that saw the highest increase in the average costs of renting of anywhere in the UK was Salford, where prices have risen by 67% between 2015 and 2024. Leicester and Thanet also saw the third and fourth largest increases nationally.
The place with the highest rent overall is Kensington and Chelsea, with the cost of renting a property there in August 2024 averaging at £3,418.
But despite this high price, the average rent increased in this area by only around 27.3%, a far lower rise than in places such as Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset.
Even the area with the lowest increase in average rent in the South West, Torbay, saw this rise by 27.5% - still higher than that of Kensington and Chelsea.
The counties with the highest increases in average rent in the West Country, between August 2015 and August 2024:
Bristol (62.9%)
South Gloucestershire (60.7%)
North Somerset (50.7%)
Bath and North East Somerset (47.7%)
Somerset (46.4%)
'Only just about affordable' : The real impact of rising rental costs in Bristol
Will Green rents a flat with his partner in Bedminster for about £1,000 - but says the cost of renting has made him think twice about staying in the city.
His first flat was "a bit of a nightmare" and he believes he would not have been able to afford it unless he had a partner.
"I don't know anybody who rents by themselves," he said. "You have to have a flat-share, which can have it's pros and its cons. You can be with people you don't particularly get along with."
The 25-year-old also told ITV West Country that his current flat is only "just about affordable" and the cost of renting makes him think twice about where to live.
"I have friends that live outside of Bristol and they're paying like a half or a third of what I am, and their places are so much nicer, which I guess is just the price you pay for living in a good city".
Will has spent his whole life in the city but says he has "definitely considered" leaving because of the high cost of renting. He has stayed, so far, because despite the cost, Bristol is "where's there's always stuff happening and you're not far away from anything that you might need."
Will also believes another issue is that affordable flats are snapped up so fast that there is an expectation people should be able to visit at any time of day, regardless of having to go to work.
"They just go so quickly, you have to essentially drop everything," he said and added that if you are unable to be flexible with work then it can be "really tricky".
He would like to see better support for those renting in the city and remembers repairs such a leaky roof in his first flat taking a very long time to have fixed due to the rental agency not answering the phone or responding quickly.
Will says he believes there should be a better guarantee for tenants in Bristol that repairs will happen and that landlords or agencies must reply within a fixed time.