Rent in Monmouthshire rose 7% in the past year, new figures show.

It comes as Propertymark, a membership organisation for estate agents, warned upcoming reforms in England and Scotland may add more "uncertainty to aspiring investors" and increase rent prices in the long term.

Provisional figures from the Office for National Statistics show the average private rent in Monmouthshire reached £964 per month in the year to June – up 7% from £897 a year prior.

It was also up 46% from an estimated £659 a month five years ago.

Rent Officers Wales, which is part of the Housing and Regeneration Division of the Government, collects prices from landlords and letting agents, with the aim to collect data for approximately 15% of the market.

Across Wales, the average rent was £804 – rising 8% from the year before.

Cardiff had the highest rental cost in the country at £1,124 per month, while the lowest was in Powys at £566.

The average private rent in Great Britain was £1,355 per month in June. This was £84, or 7%, higher than 12 months ago.

Nathan Emerson, chief executive of Propertymark, said: "Britain needs a stable and thriving private rental market to provide choice to people who intend to put a roof over their heads.

"New legislation especially in both England and Scotland is adding more uncertainty to aspiring investors and ultimately raising rent prices in the long term, creating a myriad of unintended consequences.

"It is vital that the UK Government and the devolved administrations listen to those working in the lettings market to ensure that the private rental sector works better for everyone."

The figures also show the different costs for various homes in Monmouthshire, from £707 for a one-bed property to £1,471 for a home with four or more bedrooms in June.

Among the property types in the area: