Rents rose across most of England by averages of 6.3% and 8.5% in past year, say separate studies, but fell in the north-west, north-east and Wales

Inflation may have dipped into minus figures, but rents have leapt by an average of between 6.3% and 8.5% over the past year, according to two reports, highlighting the dramatic extent to which the cost of a place to live has uncoupled from the cost of living.

The average rent paid by private tenants in England and Wales reached a record high of £816 per month in September, compared with £768 a year earlier, said letting agents Your Move and Reeds Rains. Meanwhile, the latest official inflation figures showed UK prices were 0.1% lower than this time last year.

Another study by the lettings insurance company HomeLet said the average UK rent had increased by £78 in a year to just a few pounds shy of £1,000. A third, by the insurer Direct Line for Business, claimed three areas of the country – Manchester, Newcastle and the London borough of Westminster – notched up average rent increases of more than 20% in 2014.

The reports will make depressing reading for those stuck in rented accommodation, and add to the pressure on the government to find ways of tackling the housing shortage. Soaring house prices and problems with having mortgages accepted have pushed more young households into the private rented sector.

Housing charity Shelter said the figures “highlight the plight of an entire generation stuck in insecure and expensive private renting”. On Tuesday, official figures underlined the continuing difficulty of buying, as UK house prices surged to a record peak of £284,000 on average in August.

Rent changes in the past year, according to the survey from Your Move and Reeds Rains. Rent changes in the past year, according to the survey from Your Move and Reeds Rains.

According to the report from Your Move and Reeds Rains, rents rose to a “new all-time record” in September and are up a typical 6.3% on an annual basis. It found that rents are now almost a quarter (24%) higher than in January 2010, while the index of CPI inflation is just 14% higher over the same period.

London is leading the way, with average rents up 11.6% in the space of a year to a new record of £1,301 per month, while the east of England, the east Midlands and the south-west saw annual growth of 8.8%, 6.7% and 5.5% respectively. However, there are some parts of the country where typical rents have been flat or falling: in Wales, they are said to be down 5% on a year ago to an average of £536.

This is the busiest time of the year for the rental market as students move into properties, and young people who have finished their studies start jobs in new areas, which can help to explain why rents are hitting new highs. However, even taking that into account, this was an “unprecedented acceleration”, said Adrian Gill, director of the two firms.

“Rents have been growing faster than ever – particularly in real terms, given inflation has essentially been zero since February. Across the country, towns and cities are seeing demand from local tenants outstrip the supply of properties to let, with inevitable effects on rents. There is little sign yet of this cooling substantially as the autumn progresses,” he added.

According to HomeLet, the average UK rent for a new tenancy during the three months to September was £995 per month. This is 8.5% higher than the figure of £917 a year earlier. The typical rent paid in Greater London is a lot higher: £1,555.

Meanwhile, a new analysis of private rents in England by Direct Line for Business found that 11% of areas saw double-digit increases during 2014, with the average rise put at 6.7%. Westminster topped the table with a 28% rise, followed by Manchester (22%), Newcastle upon Tyne (21%) and the London borough of Camden (19%). However, there were falls in average rents in some areas, including the Chiltern district council area of Buckinghamshire (down 11%) and Exeter (down 8%).

Landlords have plenty to be happy about, indicated Gill. Higher rents combined with the growth in property values mean that on average, landlords in England and Wales have seen returns of 9.4% over the year to 30 September – up from 8.9% in August. This translates into an average total return of £16,950 before deductions such as maintenance and mortgage payments.

In response, Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: “It’s time for George Osborne to give back hope to ordinary families who are priced out and losing out by investing in the genuinely affordable homes we need, for renting or buying, in the upcoming spending review.”