Tenants in the cheapest place to rent in Essex have said rising costs are prompting them to consider moving somewhere as far away as the Isle of Wight.

Epping Forest was the only area in Essex where private rents exceeded more than a third of tenants’ gross monthly income in the last financial year. Office for National Statistics in question.

Kordian Lück, a shop manager from Epping, told BBC News he spent half his salary on rent for his one-bedroom flat.

“I feel like every year (the rent) is getting higher and higher, and that’s on top of the bills,” he said.

He said he would probably consider moving to the Isle of Wight or Norfolk for a number of reasons, including cost.

“I’m looking for a slightly slower pace of life and work-life balance. I don’t want to spend 12 hours a day working.”

Katie Collins, a carer who has lived all her life in Roydon, a village in the county, said rising rents meant she was considering moving elsewhere in Essex.

“Our rent is currently £1,400 a month, which is a huge chunk of my salary and doesn’t leave much for food and other things.

“It will increase again next year to the point where we have to tell our landlord that we can no longer afford to rent our home.”

Chef Akeem Callum said he could have found a place of his own but chose to rent with his mother to save money.

“I’m pretty happy to support her, just like she supported me when I was a baby. I’m giving that back to her,” she said.

“I come home at ridiculous times, so this place is perfect for me.”

They live together in Loughton, another town in the county, three stops from Epping on the central line. Mr Callum said it was easy to get to central London.

Eight years ago, tenants in 10 of Essex’s 14 boroughs were spending more than a third of their gross monthly income on rent.

The most affordable borough in the county in 2022-23 was Tendring, where tenants paid just over a quarter of their income on rent.

Countywide, rents as a percentage of income fell to their lowest level in nine fiscal years; only Epping Forest ranked above 33%.

It was the second most affordable place to rent in the east of England in 2022-23, after Hertsmere in Hertfordshire. Residents paid 36 percent of their income on rent.

Despite the rise in the cost of private rent, the Office for National Statistics said incomes were rising faster.

Barrie Blostone, owner of three rented properties in the area, said this was a difficult time for landlords and tenants alike.

“Landlords are already trying to get out of the market and sell properties. In East Anglia, for every rental house advertised, around 20 people want to get into them.”