Average rents for properties in Test Valley are among the highest in Hampshire, figures reveal.

Leading charities have called for urgent investment in affordable social housing, to help the millions of people across the country "struggling to keep up with the sky-high cost of private rents".

The median monthly rent for a property in Test Valley was £880 in 2018-19, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics.

That was the third most expensive of the 11 council areas in Hampshire, where average prices were £850 a month.

The median is a measure used to exclude extreme values which could skew the average.

Rents across England have risen by 22% since 2010-11, with the average now £700.

Average salaries meanwhile have only increased by 17%.

Polly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said "decades of failure" to build social homes had left millions with little hope of escaping the financial hardship they face in the private rental market.

She said: "Despite working all the hours they can, millions of people are struggling to keep up with the sky-high cost of private rents.

"Recent efforts to improve renters’ rights by banning costly letting fees and committing to abolish ‘no-fault’ evictions are very welcome, but private renting is not always the right place for struggling families to live.

"Ultimately, the only way to solve the housing emergency is for the government to commit to building at least 90,000 genuinely affordable social homes a year over the course of this parliament."

Across England, women would have to pay 38% of their salary on average to live alone, compared to 24% for men.

Shelter defines housing as unaffordable if it takes up more than 30% of a household's income.

The biggest rent increase in Test Valley has been for two-bedroom homes, followed by three-beds.