PEOPLE in Wyre Forest have already paid nearly £200 more on private rent in 2026 than they did in the first three months of last year.
This latest revelation from the Office for National Statistics comes despite a drop in average rent prices in March compared to earlier in 2026.
Private rents were an average of £862 per month in Kidderminster, Stourport and Bewdley in January 2026, £72 more than people were paying per month 12 months earlier.
That monthly figure rose to £865 in February, up £71 from a year before.
However, the latest figures reveal that the average price of private rents in Wyre Forest was £849 in March 2026, £13 per month lower than back in January but still £37 more than they were a year ago.
In total, private renters would have paid out an average of £2,576 to landlords over the first three months of the year, £180 more than they did between January and March 2025.
Price breakdown
In the Wyre Forest, one-bedroom properties currently cost £601 a month to rent on average, while two-bedroom properties cost £764 a month.
People wanting to rent a three-bedroom property will need to shell out around £923 a month, while the average price for four or more bedrooms is £1,281.
Comparison with Worcestershire
Bromsgrove private rents rose slightly to an average of £977 in March 2026, up £19 from 12 months ago.
Private renters in the Malvern Hills shelled out £74 more on average last month than they did in March 2025, with the average price being £938.
At £898, Redditch renters are paying exactly the same amount they were last year, while in Wychavon, it costs an average of £925 a month to rent a property, up £13 on last year.
And in Worcester, private rents rose to an average of £955 in March 2026, £44 more than it was 12 months earlier.
What is being done
In the Government’s renters’ rights act, which comes into effect on May 1, landlords can only put the rent up once per year.
In addition, should they wish to put the rent up, they must give at least two months’ notice to the tenant.
