AVERAGE rents in Bracknell Forest are rising more slowly than elsewhere in the South East, figures reveal.

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.

The median monthly rent for a property in Bracknell Forest was £950 in 2018-19, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

That was 15 per cent higher than during 2010-11, the earliest year with comparable data.

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

In comparison, rental prices across the South East as a whole rose by 28 per cent.

Rents across England rose by 22 per cent over the same period, with the average now £700 a month, while average salaries increased by just 17 per cent.

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.

"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."

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 Bracknell Foresthas been for studio apartments, followed by three-beds.

Average rents in Bracknell Forest:

Single room: £ 450 in 2018-19, up 13 per cent from £400 in 2010-11

Studio: £650 in 2018-19, up 32 per cent from £491 in 2011

One-bedroom: £800 in 2018-19, up 23 per cent from £650

Two-bedroom: £1,000 in 2018-19, up 25 per cent from £800

Three-bedroom: £1,250 in 2018-19, up 32 per cent from £950

Four or more bedrooms: £1,650 in 2018-19, down 3 per cent from £695