Renters in struggle to buy basics

NEARLY a third of private renters always or often struggle to afford essentials due to what they spend on rent, a poll shows.

- BY SOPHIE HUSKISSON

Almost one in 10 have sold or pawned personal items to be able to afford their accommodation costs, the Renters' Reform Coalition survey also found.

Average rents have risen by 31% in the past five years, according to recent analysis by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Trevor Twohig, 44, and wife Tnaesha rent a bungalow in Ashford, Kent, where their three children share a room.