The number of tenants seriously behind on rent has risen by 13.8% on a quarterly basis, according to the latest Tenant Arrears Tracker by estate agency chains Your Move and Reeds Rains.

There are now 84,200 tenants more than two months behind with paying their rent, as of Q3 2015, compared to 74,000 in the second quarter. In absolute terms this represents a quarterly increase of 10,200 additional households in potentially serious financial difficulties.

On an annual basis, this means 13,200 more households are in significant arrears than a year ago, or an annual increase of 18.6% since Q3 2014, when this figure previously stood at 71,000 across the UK.

On a historical basis, the latest deterioration in serious tenant arrears remains relatively mild, remaining considerably below the record 116,600 such cases seen in Q3 2012. However the latest figures for Q3 2015 represent the highest levels in more than two years.

Adrian Gill, director of estate agents Your Move and Reeds Rains, comments: “The chance of an individual tenant falling into serious arrears remains very low. In general, renting works for most people (but) there are inevitably some households and individuals who are not yet feeling any new economic buoyancy. As others bid rents higher there will be a minority who are still struggling to keep up.”