Families are being forced to move town as the supply of homes to rent in Kent continues to shrink.

Analysis by KentOnline reveals how the number of houses available for under £1,000 a month has almost halved in the space of 12 months - from 45 to just 26.

Estate agents say while demand in the market is growing, many landlords are deciding to sell up as buy-to-let investments are now less attractive.

Meanwhile, the average price of renting a house in Kent has risen from £1,355 to £1,418, according to property website home.co.uk.

One of those affected is single mum Vicky Wells.

She and her three children currently live in a three-bedroom house in Canterbury - after being “forced out” of the town she called home for 20 years.

Miss Wells, 38, sold her marital home last year due to a divorce and began looking for places to rent in Faversham.

But to her dismay, she could not get a place “for love nor money”.

“As a single woman and a single mum I had to take a look at the rental market because I could not get a mortgage big enough for the house size I needed,” she said.

“I have lived in Faversham for 20 years, so I started my search there. But there was a distinct lack of houses on the market.”

Miss Wells, who works for Kent County Council, says trying to find a place to rent was the first time she experienced discrimination in her life.

“I could not live in the town I called home for 20 years. My children go to school there, my dentist is there, my GP – my whole life is there!”

“As a single person I was unable to even view half the properties I was interested in,” she said.

“Even though I met all the requirements, because I was on my own I was not a good enough prospect for landlords.

“I could not live in the town I called home for 20 years. My children go to school there, my dentist is there, my GP – my whole life is there!”

After four months of searching, the mother-of-three accepted the fact she would have to make the move out of Faversham.

She chose Canterbury as her destination because of the large number of student properties in the area.

Despite eventually finding a home, Miss Wells told KentOnline about the struggles she faces on a daily basis.

“It’s an absolute nightmare having to get my children to school in the morning as I did not want them to move schools,” she said.

“My son has a brain abnormality so him getting the bus to school every day has been very difficult.”

Miss Wells spends £1,400 per month on rent and says even though she earns a “good wage” she is right on the breadline.

“I’m struggling. On paper, it looks like I am on good money, but as a single mother who does not claim any state benefits I am on the line,” she said

“I am in a job where I distribute food bank parcels so I have had to use them sometimes.

“In my profession, I help vulnerable families. But recently I have felt extremely vulnerable myself. It has been hard to keep it all together.”

There are 13 towns in Kent where there are no properties available to rent for under £1,000, according to Rightmove and Zoopla.

This is the same amount as when we last checked in 2022.

“I can't afford to buy but also can't afford to rent...”

Meanwhile, in some areas, there is just one property available to rent on the market.

We asked KentOnline’s Facebook followers if they had struggled to find affordable properties.

Posting on our page, Katie Hunt said she and her partner have to live with her parents because “rent prices are a joke”.

“I can't afford to buy but also can't afford to rent,” she said.

“[We are] a 25-year-old female and a 30-year-old male who are both in full-time employment but have to live with my parents.

“Banks won't give decent mortgages, and a lot of banks won't give shared ownership mortgages either which is the more affordable option.

“So we looked at renting. But a two-bed flat at £1,200 is ridiculous. We would need a garden and somewhere suitable for rabbits.

“The rules are too strict and rent prices are a joke.”

Meanwhile, Helen Pollard said there is “no longer affordable housing” and her wage and universal credit do not cover her rent.

She explained: “I can’t afford to move, the council doesn’t want to help, and there’s no longer affordable housing.

“I’m working and getting universal credit which doesn’t cover all my rent. With everything increasing I no longer have money spare in my pocket.

“My rent is increasing this month. It’s all a joke!”

Charlie Bainbridge, director of Charles Bainbridge estate agents in Canterbury, says rental properties valued up to £1,000pcm are “very sought after”.

“Supply is low and demand is high - consistently so,” he said.

“There are very few letting investments at the moment because buy-to-let mortgage rates are very unattractive.

“Instead of people investing in the usual way with a buy-to-let investment, that’s not been happening and that’s added to the low supply.

“Also, a lot of people have sold off letting investments. They have become less attractive for tax reasons and when people have to remortgage them.

“That’s taking more stock out of the private housing sector. That decreases the supply again.

“On the flip side, potential first-time buyers are struggling because they can’t now get what they might have done, before interest rates went up. They are having to rent for longer so that’s adding to the demand.”

Meanwhile, rather than traditional six-month or year-long leases, many landlords are opting to rent out their properties as short-term holiday lets and AirBnbs.

“It’s not nice for renters at the moment. It’s very unpredictable...”

KentOnline reporter James Pallant previously described his struggles to find a place to rent - with places being snatched off the market hours before he was due to view the potential new homes.

Mr Bainbridge says while they don’t see “bidding wars”, there are often several applicants when a property becomes available.

“The landlords tend to take their pick of what they feel is the most secure tenant - who they feel most confident in,” he said.

“They are looking for who is most likely to look after the house, rather than who is going to pay the highest.”

Asked if the rental market in Kent was reaching a crisis point, Mr Bainbridge said it’s “hard to see where it will end up”.

“These things always go in circles,” he added.

“It’s not nice for renters at the moment. It’s very unpredictable.”