Thousands of people have seen their paycheques stretched even further after rents increased to an unprecedented high in the last year, new figures revealed today.

Private-sector rents have reached an average high of £761 a month across England and Wales — a 2.4 per cent increase on 2013.

The raises are contributing to worsening problems for tenants — with one in every 13 people now unable to pay their rents on time or at all.