A location in Sussex has been ranked as the second least-affordable for renters in the UK.

Brighton and Hove tenants now spend nearly two-thirds of their annual salary on rent, according to property data from Sell House Fast.

The area has also seen a sharp 26.4 per cent rise in rents over the past year, making it one of the UK’s fastest-gentrifying cities.

Jack Malnick, managing director of Sell House Fast, said: “As more professional, high-income workers move to affordable neighbourhoods, gentrification begins.

“With these workers come home improvements and often, investments into the local area.

“These changes increase property values, drive up housing prices, and boost overall market demand.

“However, this boost to these locations can also lead to rental costs rising, outpacing household earnings and gradually pricing lower-income residents out of these neighbourhoods.”

Renters in Brighton can spend almost 66 per cent of their salary on rent, according to the study (Image: Hassocks)

Sell House Fast’s latest analysis identifies towns and cities where rent and property prices have most dramatically outpaced earnings, pushing out lower-income residents.

Brighton and Hove has become a magnet for people seeking coastal living, with gentrification driving up both rents and house prices and transforming neighbourhoods.

Over the past 20 years, house prices in the city have soared by more than 116 per cent, while average annual earnings have increased by just 70 per cent.

This widening gap means affordable housing is increasingly out of reach for many long-term residents.

According to Sell House Fast, Brighton and Hove had median annual earnings of £33,226 in 2024, and an average annual rent of £21,859 in 2025. This means residents spend just below 66 per cent of their income on rent.

Two people escape from flat above after fire breaks out at barber shop below

Two people escape from flat above after fire breaks out at barber shop below

Nightmare neighbour has flat closed by the council after ‘years of abuse and threats’

Nightmare neighbour has flat closed by the council after ‘years of abuse and threats’

Blazing car fire at popular beauty spot being treated as arson

Blazing car fire at popular beauty spot being treated as arson

Rent prices in Brighton and Hove have increased significantly in recent years, according to the study (Image: Hassocks)

In comparison, London remains the least affordable place to rent, with residents typically spending nearly three-quarters of their earnings on rent.

Though rental costs in the capital have risen by 29 per cent over the past five years—one of the lowest increases in the study—house prices have climbed much faster.

The average home in London has jumped from £229,000 in 2004 to more than £555,000 in 2024, a 144 per cent increase.

The findings come alongside new ONS data showing that UK private rents have risen 3.5 per cent year-on-year, reaching an average of £1,374 per month.

Wage growth has edged just slightly ahead, rising by 3.8 per cent over the same period.