RENT in Bromsgrove rose 9% in the past year, new figures show.

It comes as campaign group Generation Rent said renters across Britain are being exploited by an "out of control market" and a lack of protections.

Provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average private rent in Bromsgrove reached £929 per month in the year to September – up 9% from £851 a year prior.

It was also up 29% from an estimated £721 a month five years ago.

Valuation Office Agency rent officers collect prices from a variety of sources, including landlords and letting agents, with the aim to collect data on approximately 10% of the market.

Across the West Midlands, the average rent was £896 – rising 9% from the year before.

Solihull had the highest rental cost in the region at £1,225 per month, while the lowest was in Stoke at £618.

Sarah Coles, head of personal finance at Hargreaves Lansdown, said "budget threats" were driving up rents.

She added: "Given the continued exodus of landlords, renters face the double misery of fighting over the scraps and then paying a fortune for them."

In September, the average private rent in Great Britain was £1,295 per month. This was £101, or 8%, higher than 12 months ago.

Meanwhile, separate ONS figures show Consumer Price Index inflation has slowed to 1.7% in September, down from 2.2% in August.