York’s average monthly rent has gone through the £1K barrier for the first time.
According to research by Zoopla, city renters can expect to pay an average of £1,034 a month to live in York, which shows an annual increase of 5.8 per cent.
That places York as the 18th most expensive city to rent in the UK.
The data shows that York is more expensive to rent than cities like Cardiff (£1,031 pcm), Manchester (£982 pcm), Leeds (£905pcm), Nottingham (£897 pcm) and Glasgow (£868 pcm).
However cities like Leeds and Sheffield are catching up to York’s high rent prices.
Richard Donnell, executive director at Zoopla, said: “Rental growth in York is currently sitting at 5.8 per cent – and is lagging behind other regional cities including Sheffield (7.9 per cent) and Leeds (8.6 per cent).
“This is due to higher average rent costs in York of £1,034pcm, meaning there is less headroom for growth”.
Meanwhile, York’s new council leader has begun to detail her administration’s potential housing policy.
Cllr Claire Douglas acknowledged York’s high private sector prices, but said the best way she can help tackle housing is by improving the conditions of council properties.
The Labour leader said: “What we can do is improve the quality of rented accommodation for people, because they’re paying an awful lot of money but in many cases it is not very good accommodation.
“Looking around to see what you get for your money is a bit disheartening to say the least.”
Licensing landlords
Labour said housing was one of its key priorities during the election campaign.
“We’ve committed to extending licensing of landlords and doing what we can to make sure Airbnbs and short term holiday lets aren’t as prolific in the city as they currently are, because really in some areas they are quite dominant,” Cllr Douglas said.
However, she admits there is little councils can do, adding: “With some of this we need primary legislation to change.”
Cllr Douglas also said housing needs could be targeted by addressing the needs of particular areas.
She said: “That might be that a particular community needs a lot of litter picking, they need their verges looking after, they need bushes cutting back”.
“We’ll have teams of people that are residents working in those communities so they can get to know them and report directly to them.
“We can be far more responsive.
“At the moment the council has a lot of outsourced, large contracts; faceless organisations that come in and do weed-killing and it’s one size fits all.
“We think that needs to stop and that’s what local people are telling us”.