Oxford and Brighton amongst other cities and towns in the UK have overtaken some parts of London as the most unaffordable places in the country to rent a property, according to the National Housing Federation (NHF).

Three Rivers in Hertfordshire is now the most unaffordable place outside of the capital to be a private renter, with private rent swallowing up more than half of people’s wages, whilst Oxford, South Bucks and Brighton are now more unaffordable than London boroughs such as Greenwich and Lewisham, with tenants spending over half their salary on rent before they’ve covered any other bills.

David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, said: “Private renters today are getting a raw deal and are paying the price for a housing crisis that’s been decades in the making.

“Unless we build the affordable homes we desperately need, ordinary working families and young people will continue to struggle to pay their rent, and will have less and less money left to cover basic bills like food and heating.

“We need a long term plan from politicians to put this right. We’re calling on all political parties to commit to end the housing crisis within a generation.”

Top 20 most unaffordable places to rent outside of London