A new study has revealed the most affordable areas to rent in the UK.

And it found that rental properties in the North West of England cost the least, on average.

The study by money.co.uk sourced average rent prices and incomes from the Office for National Statistics to calculate rent prices as a percentage of monthly income, revealing the most affordable areas to rent in the UK.

Affordable to rent

Copeland, in Cumbria, is the area with the most affordable rent if you’re renting privately, said money.co.uk. Here, the average person earns £2,716 a month, but the average rental prices are just £500.

The neighbouring area of Allerdale has the second most affordable rent, with rental prices making up around a fifth of monthly income. While rental prices are slightly lower here, so are the average earnings. Allerdale contains much of the Lake District, including the town of Keswick and the lakes of Derwentwater and Bassenthwaite.

Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria is the third most affordable area to rent, with rental prices making up 23.17% of average earnings. Rental prices here are higher at £550.

The top 10 most affordable places to rent, and the rent as a proportion of average income, are as follows:

1. Copeland, North West (£500) – 18%

2. Allerdale, North West (£495) – 20%

3. Barrow-in-Furness, North West (£550) – 23%

3. Burnley, North West (£450) – 23%

3. Darlington, North East (£475) – 23%

6. County Durham, North East (£475) – 24%

6. Hartlepool, North East (£492) – 24%

8. Hyndburn, North West (£475) – 25%

8. Middlesbrough, North East (£450) – 25%

8. Wigan, North West (£525) – 25%

Least affordable locations

The study also revealed that Kensington and Chelsea is the least affordable area in the UK to rent, with rent costing 67% of a monthly salary on average.

Westminster in London, is the area in the UK with the highest percentage of rental properties, with 42.55% of homes being privately rented.

And North East Derbyshire is the area with the least amount of homes being privately rented, at just 9.69%.