RENT in Brighton and Hove costs more than in some central London boroughs.

People pay more for properties in the city than those living in Greenwich or Lewisham, studies by The National Housing Federation have shown.

The city has overtaken parts of the capital alongside Oxford and Three Rivers in Hertfordshire in the leaderboard of high rent prices. It was also named the fifth most unaffordable place to live outside London in a top 20 of local authorities.

The figures state that in Brighton and Hove, nearly 50% of a person’s income is paid in rent to a private landlord.

It states the average monthly private sector rent costs £1,102 and people earn an average of £26,718 a year.

In comparison, people in Greenwich spent a little more than 44% of their income on rent, with an average rent of £1,192, and average wages of £32,412.

In Lewisham, people spend about 40% of their income on rent, which costs an average of £1,027, out of wages of £30,701 a year.

Hollie Pycroft, 23, who lives in a one-bedroom flat with her boyfriend in Kemp Town, said making ends meet in Brighton is a “tall order”. The University of Brighton politics graduate earns about £1,200 a month and spends half on rent and bills. The couple pay £900 a month in rent.

She said: “There are often months when the money is running out. It’s hard to be independent and it’s difficult to find somewhere nice to live which is affordable. I save money on other costs because I walk to work. I don’t know what I would do if I had to pay for travel.”

David Gibson, co-ordinator of the Living Rent campaign to cut the cost of housing in the city, said the lack of affordable homes meant born and bred Brightonians were being forced to move away from friends and family.

Roger Kay, director of Just Lets in Church Road, Hove, said he was surprised to hear rents in the city were higher than in some central London boroughs.

He said: “With the demand for housing in Brighton, prices are only going to go one way. But Londoners are still moving down here because of housing costs. Sometimes it takes less time to travel from Brighton into parts of London than from some of the boroughs. People move here from Europe too.”