A STRONG tenant demand and falling supply has pushed rental prices higher in Yorkshire, research shows.
And houses for rent are seeing the biggest rise in demand.
But it was a different story in Huddersfield, with one property agent saying rentals had fallen by 10%.
It comes as the difficulty in securing mortgage finance and large deposits remained a barrier to many wanting to buy a home.
The RICS Residential Lettings Survey said 11% more surveyors reported seeing a rise.
But with rentals remaining high, the demand has hit social housing.
The survey reveals that the proportion of social tenants has grown from 8% before 2009 to 14% now.
Kirklees has increased council house rent by 5.9% for 2011/12, affecting 26,000 households.
From April average weekly rent for council houses will rise from £61.40 to £65.02.
In the private sector, Trovit Homes says the average rent in March is £467.83, an increase of 3.12 % compared to February.
In Huddersfield the average rent is £421.4, down 10%, with prices in Dewsbury £350.79, down 25%.
Jonathan Charters-Reid, RICS spokesman on residential matters, said: “The increase in rents is staggering. In a number of cases the amount of rent that some people are paying is more than a mortgage payment. Renters can now prove a track record of paying rent at higher than a mortgage payment. In this surreal situation the only thing stopping them from getting a mortgage is the deposit.”
He believes that banks need to revert back to 95% mortgage deals to get people on to the property ladder.
