RENTS are soaring in commuter towns as cities become increasingly unaffordable, new research suggests.

The cost of a new let rose twice as fast as earnings in six British cities and towns – including Newport - over the last three years, according to data from property website Zoopla provided to the BBC.

At the same time, areas in commuting distance from major cities have seen some of the sharpest increases in rent prices.

Executive director of research at Zoopla, Richard Donnell, said: “Rents have risen fastest in UK cities, but affordability pressures have pushed renters to seek better value for money in commuter towns where there are more homes for rent.

“Big cities have led the way on rental growth as demand rises in the face of static rental supply – we have the same number of rented homes as in 2016.

“Demand has been driven by the unaffordability of home ownership, the re-opening of the economy post-pandemic, strong jobs market, record student numbers and high immigration for study and work."

Over the past three years rents have risen by more than a third in Bolton, Newport and Bradford, Zoopla data showed.

Newport is around 15 minutes by train from Cardiff and rents there have soared from an average of £653 in December 2020 to £878 by December 2023.

Last year alone Bolton experienced the highest rent rise of any UK area in the Zoopla survey, 14.8 per cent.

Rents outpaced earnings in Glasgow, Bolton, Manchester, London, Edinburgh and Wigan, Zoopla found.

However, it said the growth in rents is expected to slow over the coming year.