Rents are rising at their fastest pace on record, climbing by 5.3% in July.
It is the fastest rate of annual rental inflation recorded since it began collecting the data in 2016, surpassing the 5.2% recorded in June, according to the Office of National Statistics.
Rents are increasing most quickly in Wales, having climbed by 6.5% over the past 12 months. In Scotland they have risen by 5.7%, while in England rents are 5.2% higher than where they were last July.
In London, rents have risen by 5.5% year-on-year, the highest level of annual inflation the ONS has recorded.
