Stories

Sun, 19 Apr 2026

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 'With four jobs in London I couldn't afford rent so I'm going to Manchester'

Lauren Elcock is among the young Londoners who say rising rents are forcing them to quit the capital.

* Average UK monthly private rents increased by 3.5% to £1,367 in the 12 months to September 2025.
* Only 5 London postcodes still have sub-£800 average room rents, down from 81 postcodes in 2020.
* Since the Renters' Rights Act came into effect: + One in three Londoners aged 18-30 say they are likely to leave the capital within the next two years (around 600,000 people). + Polling shows that London's culture, leisure, and hospitality sectors will be affected by this trend.
* Labour's Renters' Rights Bill has been passed into law and will benefit 2.7 million renters in London.
* The bill includes measures such as: + Ending no-fault evictions + Capping unfair rent hikes + Introducing a new ombudsman and stronger enforcement to drive up standards
* Other parties' responses: + Conservatives: the Renters' Rights Act will exacerbate housing costs for Londoners. + Lib Dems: they've "long called for an end to no-fault evictions". + Greens: rent controls are not included in the bill and should be devolved to local authorities.