Rising Rents Leave Full-Time Workers Facing Housing Insecurity

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Despite juggling two jobs, one long-term tenant says the growing instability in Wales’ rental market has left him unable to feel secure in his own home. With private rents continuing to rise across the country and properties being relisted at significantly higher rates, renters are finding it increasingly difficult to plan for the future or settle down with confidence.

Brian Jenkins, a 56-year-old from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, works as both a supply teacher and a bar supervisor. Yet even with steady employment, he says the unpredictability of renting makes it impossible to relax in his own home. After living in the same flat for 12 years, he was forced to move when the landlord decided to sell. But the flat later reappeared on the market, priced at £350 more than he had been paying.

“You just don’t want to feel too comfortable, just in case,” Mr Jenkins shared with the BBC. The home had sentimental value, too; it’s where his son grew up. Looking for a new place in 2022, he said he was shocked by the pricing. “They were asking crazy money for some of the properties, which I just wasn’t in a position to be able to afford,” he added.

According to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates, private sector rents in Wales rose by 8.2 percent in the 12 months leading to June. Although this is below the peak of 9.9 percent recorded in November 2023, the pressure on renters remains high. The average monthly rent now sits at £804, marking a significant jump from previous years.

Mr Jenkins currently pays £600 a month, up from £550 last year, a rise he described as “fair.” However, he admitted that even this can become a struggle during school holidays when his teaching work dries up.

Others are facing even greater challenges. Stephen Davison, 61, from Llandudno in Conwy County, said he lost his job during the COVID-19 pandemic and now relies on his savings to keep afloat. “You go from having made some plans for the future to having everything thrown up in the air. I don’t know where I will be if I can’t get another job,” he said. With his rent rising by £100 a month and council tax increases adding more financial pressure, Mr Davison said his prospects are shrinking. “My savings are going down, my prospects of getting a job are going down, and you feel insecure.”

Douglas Haig, director of the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), suggested the pace of rent increases may begin to ease as landlords adjust to cost pressures. “It gets to a point where there is a ceiling on what the general market can afford. And I think we’re getting to that point,” he said.

Meanwhile, home ownership is showing some signs of becoming more accessible. Figures from Principality Building Society show the average house price in Wales rose to £238,098 in the second quarter of 2025, a modest increase of 0.7 percent year-on-year. Encouragingly, the number of property sales was up by 13 percent over the same period.

Principality’s Chief Financial Officer, Iain Mansfield, commented that affordability barriers for first-time buyers are beginning to ease, noting that “a stable housing market, where prices aren’t increasing at huge percentage points… means the accessibility for buyers to come into the market is more straightforward.”

Former police officer Paula Spence, who recently moved into a new family home in Cwmbran, said she and her husband faced challenges finding a suitable property after downsizing. However, she was pleased with the outcome: “There were a few things out there but in a higher bracket than we wanted to pay, so we felt really lucky that we got this,” she said. “The family are happy and we’ve all got our own space, so it’s all good.”

As rents continue to climb and property prices stabilise, the divide between renters and buyers may widen further. For many, including those working multiple jobs, renting still offers little in the way of long-term security.