RENTS across the UK rose by 2.4 per cent, taking the average monthly rent to £909, the latest index shows.

The monthly cost of rent increased by 3.7 per cent in Northern Ireland to £624, by 3.1 per cent in Scotland to £625, but fell by 0.3 per cent in Wales to £603, according to data from HomeLet.

Annual rental growth in England was led by the East Midlands with a rise of six per cent to £617, followed by 3.4 per cent in the South West to £817, up 2.6 per cent in the West Midlands to £674, up 2.3 per cent in the North East to £537.

Month on month rents increased by 0.2 per cent nationwide and a breakdown of the figures shows they were up 0.5 per cent in London, up 1.8 per cent in Scotland, up by 0.6 per cent in Northern Ireland and down 0.3 per cent in Wales.

Rents increased by 1.5 per cent in Yorkshire and the Humber to £623 and by 1.5 per cent in the East of England to £906, up by 1.2 per cent in the North West to £683, and up 0.6 per cent in the South East to £995.

HomeLet's chief executive Martin Totty said the number of available rental properties is being constrained by a lack of real wage growth.

He said: "Any constraint to the supply of rental properties, because landlords are unable to achieve the reasonable returns they require, cannot be in the long-term best interests of tenants.”