Money Box Live: Rising rents troubling tenants

Money Box

BBC

Business

4.2 • 804 Ratings

🗓️ 1 October 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

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Summary

Being a tenant can be pricey — and it’s only getting pricier. Private rents rose by almost six per cent in the year to July, and while the pace may be slowing, the average UK rent still stands at over £1,300 a month. So what does that mean for the millions of people living in private rented homes? This week on Money Box Live, we're looking at the cost of renting — and what it’s doing to your finances. We’ll hear from a family forced to live apart because they can’t afford to rent together, and from a woman struggling to rent because of debt problems. We’ll ask what the upcoming Renters Rights Bill means for tenants — and what tax breaks are available to people who choose to rent out a spare room. With rising prices, limited supply, and big reforms on the horizon, join us as we unpack the pressures facing renters — and what support is out there. Felicity Hannah is joined by Matt Hutchinson from Spare Room, Vicky Spratt, Housing Correspondent for The i, and Matt Sheeran from Money Wellness Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producer: Helen Ledwick Editors: Jess Quayle and Craig Henderson (This episode was first broadcast at 3pm on Radio 4 on the 3rd of September 2025).

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
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0:40.9	Hello, it can cost a lot to be a tenant in the UK, and it's only getting pricier.
0:46.0	Private rents increased by almost 6% across the country just in the 12 months to July.
0:52.3	That's according to the latest official data.
0:54.8	Now, the good news for tenants is that rental growth has slowed. The bad news is it still puts
1:00.1	the average monthly cost at £1,343. So on today's Moneybox Live podcast, we're asking,
1:08.0	what's that doing to the finances of the estimated 5.5 million households
1:13.1	living in private rented accommodation? Let's start the program by speaking to somebody whose
1:17.9	life has been pretty dramatically reshaped by rising rents. Isabella is on the line. Isabella,
1:23.7	hello. Hi, thank you so much for having me. Thank you for being with us. Now, you're married to Adam and you have a baby son, but you can't live together. Tell me why not.
1:32.8	So the story is we used to live together in Durham. We rented a farm, which was perfect for our
1:38.7	business, but we basically were priced out of that farm and we could not renew the tenancy without
1:44.0	pretty much
	...

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