Private rents near pre-recession levels in some regions

Rents are almost back to their mid-2000s high in some parts of the country, with renters under growing pressure to meet boom-time costs on recession-era incomes.

Across the country, rents have risen 7.1% in the past 12 months, but that increases to 9.2% in the most expensive region.

That comes on top of national full-year increases of 11% in 2013 and almost 10.5% in 2014, and while the indications are of a slowing this year, much of the damage to renters’ pockets has already been done.