According to the ONS, 16.4 percent of households in Norwich saw their private landlord raising their rent in 2023.
This is compared to 12.9 percent of households in England and only 7 percent in Wales.
In Norwich 26.9 percent of households in 2023 rented privately – compared to an average of 19.2 percent in England and Wales, according to the ONS.
The average monthly rent in Norwich in 2023 was £989 – an increase of £84 from 2022.
This means private renters in the city spent approximately 35.4 percent of their average disposable income on rent – again higher than the national average.
Rebecca Leggett is from Norwich-based estate agent Websters, and told UEA Journalism some of the reasons behind the rent increases.
She said: “We’ve just seen a lack of supply in the last year or couple of years to be honest…[and] an increase in demand.”
She continued, “I think because of the pandemic, a lot of people can now work in London but remotely, so they obviously move here, because renting here is a lot cheaper than London prices and they’re still earning a London wage, so they can pay more and afford to pay more, so they’re off making offers and such on properties.”
But it’s not all bad news for renters in the medieval city.
Although the proportion of private landlords in Norwich putting up rent in 2023 is one of the highest in the country, the amount they are putting it up by (9.3%) is slightly lower than the national average (9.7%).
However, at a time of high inflation and a cost of living crisis – many people in the city will still be feeling the squeeze.
