Rents in Calderdale are lowest in West Yorkshire - here are average prices across borough

Average rents for properties in Calderdale are the lowest in West Yorkshire, figures reveal.
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But as new analysis reveals the increase in rental prices across England is outstripping wage rises, leading charities have called for urgent investment in affordable social housing.

Read: Halifax head teacher criticises Ofsted for “inaccurate” and “misleading” report on schoolThe median monthly rent for a property in Calderdale was £495 in 2018-19, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

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That was the cheapest among the five council areas in West Yorkshire, where average prices were £550 a month.

Rents in Calderdale are lowest in West Yorkshire - here are average prices across boroughRents in Calderdale are lowest in West Yorkshire - here are average prices across borough
Rents in Calderdale are lowest in West Yorkshire - here are average prices across borough

The median is a measure used to exclude extreme values which could skew the average.

Rents across England have risen by 22 per cent since 2010-11, with the average now £700.

Average salaries meanwhile have only increased by 17 per cent.

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Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said "decades of failure" to build social homes had left millions with little hope of escaping the financial hardship they face in the private rental market.

She said: "Despite working all the hours they can, millions of people are struggling to keep up with the sky-high cost of private rents.

Read: Calderdale waste site submits new plan to expand onto green belt land"Recent efforts to improve renters’ rights by banning costly letting fees and committing to abolish ‘no-fault’ evictions are very welcome, but private renting is not always the right place for struggling families to live.

"Ultimately, the only way to solve the housing emergency is for the government to commit to building at least 90,000 genuinely affordable social homes a year over the course of this parliament."

Property is much more expensive for women than men.

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With the average one-bedroom flat in Calderdale costing £400 in 2018-19, the typical woman would have to fork out 23 per cent of her pre-tax earnings to live alone, compared to 18 per cent for the average man.

Across England, women would have to pay 38 per cent of their salary on average to live alone, compared to 24 per cent for men.

Shelter defines housing as unaffordable if it takes up more than 30 per cent of a household's income.

The biggest rent increase in Calderdale has been for studio apartments, followed by rooms in house shares.

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Single room: £368 in 2018-19, up 13 per cent from £325 in 2010-11

Studio: £350 in 2018-19, up 23 per cent from £285 in 2011

One-bedroom: £400 in 2018-19, up 3 per cent from £388

Two-bedroom: £480 in 2018-19, up 7 per cent from £450

Three-bedroom: £575 in 2018-19, up 5 per cnet from £550

Four or more bedrooms: £750 in 2018-19, no change