High rural house prices force locals into renting

A 19% increase in rural renting has outpaced rises in London and other cities. House prices in rural counties are the most unaffordable outside London at an average of £309,000. In the Cotswolds, locals like Sophie Brown are finding they have been priced out of the property market. Gloucestershire Rural Community Council (GRCC) has been dealing with the problem.

Holiday lettings and second-home buying had seen many landlords take properties out of the longer-term private rental sector. That in turn has seen more people need to move onto council waiting lists. It was taking years for new affordable rental homes to be developed. The CCN is calling for government to set out a new plan for rural housing.

It wants a greater focus on social housing and a review of the right-to-buy policy. Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said it was putting £10bn towards boosting housing supply. Only around 234,000 new homes were delivered last year. The government’s target to build 300,000 homes a year remained.

The Renters Reform Bill would deliver a fairer private rented sector for both responsible tenants and good faith landlords, she said. It would also increase first-time buyer numbers in all regions, she added.