St Albans has the highest rent outside of London

A historic commuter city that dates back to the Romans has topped the list of the most expensive cities to rent outside of London.

Tenants who live in St Albans, Hertfordshire, are paying an average of £2,307 per month, which is 71% above the national average.

Rightmove analysed average rents in more than 50 cities across Britain and found the most affordable cities were in the north of England, with Carlisle ranked as the best value at £791 per month.

The highest rents were mostly found in cities clustered around the east and south east of England, with Oxford and Cambridge in second and third place.

The exceptions were Bristol and Edinburgh, where renting a property on average costs about £1,700 per month.

Wrexham, Wales, came out as the fifth most affordable city with an average rent of £874 a month.

The national average advertised rent outside of London is a record £1,349 per month, Rightmove said.

The data was released as students prepare to start the new academic year.

Popular with London commuters, St Albans has the highest house prices outside the capital, with properties costing 17 times more than the average annual salary of those living there.

Tim Bannister, a property expert at Rightmove, said: “The rental divide across Great Britain is clear, with an average difference of just over £1,500 (per month) between the most expensive and cheapest cities.

“Many of these cities have seen rental growth of over 40% over the past five years, meaning it’s likely to be a significant consideration when students are thinking about where to study, and those who have already graduated working out if they can afford to stay in that city and find a job.”