New research has identified London’s most uninhabitable boroughs for the capital’s tenants, based on the cost of living there to the average monthly wage of its residents.
The study from ideal flatmate looked at the average earnings compared to the average rent of a one-bedroom property, the varying cost of travel cards and council tax across each borough, and the average spend on food, energy bills, internet at phone across London. But other basic outgoings such as clothing or leisure activities were not factored in.
No fewer than 12 out of the 32 boroughs were found to be completely uninhabitable, with the basic cost of living accounting for, or exceeding, the average monthly earnings. A further 13 boroughs saw this cost of living account for 90% or more of the average wage.
Kensington and Chelsea, London’s most expensive borough, tops the list as London’s most uninhabitable, with home to a basic cost of living of £2,452 a month, 117% of the average monthly net pay in the borough.
The London Borough of Brent is not far behind, with the monthly cost of living reaching 116% of the average monthly pay of £1,587 for those living in the borough.
Hackney, Hounslow, Enfield, Newham, Camden, Ealing, Haringey, Barnet, Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham are all also home to a cost of living that accounts for all, or more, of the average monthly earnings for those in the borough.
A further 13 boroughs saw the cost of living exceed 90% but there is some hope for the capital’s tenants.
The cost of living in Bromley hit £1,597, just 80% of the average monthly net income of £2,002, making it the most affordable place to rent in London.
Wandsworth, Bexley, Havering, Croydon, Richmond and perhaps surprisingly, Hammersmith and Fulham, all saw the cost of living sit at below 90% of the monthly average wage for residents in these boroughs.
Tom Gatzen, co-founder of ideal flatmate, commented: “While Brexit uncertainty has seen a slow in the sales market, we’ve continued to see the level of London rents climb by nearly 5% on an annual basis.
“Although unemployment has been falling and wage growth has been on the up, this research demonstrates how vast the reality gap still is between the money available and the cost of living in London. We’ve only looked at the very basics and this research hasn’t factored in things like clothing and leisure but of course, the main outgoing driving this unaffordability is the price of rents.
“With such high levels of unaffordability across the capital, it’s no wonder we’ve seen such a surge in demand for room shares. The reality for those looking to rent in London is to pay through the nose, share with a friend or partner, or to move in with people in the same situation.
“Luckily, the latter has changed drastically in a few short years and it is no longer the daunting experience it once was, thanks to greater compatibility checks ensuring that it isn’t just the property that is right for a tenant, but the people they’re sharing with as well.”
|
Borough
|
Average Monthly Wage
|
Average Rent (1 bed)
|
Monthly Travel Card
|
Food
|
Elec, gas, water
|
Council Tax
|
Internet & phone
|
All
|
Percentage of Pay
|
|
Kensington and Chelsea
|
£2,102
|
£1,950
|
£134.80
|
£30
|
£146
|
£113.09
|
£77
|
£2,452
|
117%
|
|
Brent
|
£1,587
|
£1,250
|
£194.00
|
£30
|
£146
|
£150.69
|
£77
|
£1,849
|
116%
|
|
Hackney
|
£1,793
|
£1,495
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£138.42
|
£77
|
£2,046
|
114%
|
|
Hounslow
|
£1,740
|
£1,300
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£147.21
|
£77
|
£1,948
|
112%
|
|
Enfield
|
£1,585
|
£1,100
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£156.62
|
£77
|
£1,757
|
111%
|
|
Newham
|
£1,585
|
£1,200
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£126.75
|
£77
|
£1,739
|
110%
|
|
Camden
|
£2,008
|
£1,582
|
£134.80
|
£30
|
£146
|
£149.88
|
£77
|
£2,121
|
106%
|
|
Ealing
|
£1,704
|
£1,200
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£145.01
|
£77
|
£1,757
|
103%
|
|
Haringey
|
£1,772
|
£1,250
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£158.68
|
£77
|
£1,821
|
103%
|
|
Barnet
|
£1,741
|
£1,150
|
£230.40
|
£30
|
£146
|
£149.39
|
£77
|
£1,784
|
102%
|
|
Waltham Forest
|
£1,721
|
£1,075
|
£230.40
|
£30
|
£146
|
£162.62
|
£77
|
£1,722
|
100%
|
|
Barking and Dagenham
|
£1,585
|
£950
|
£230.40
|
£30
|
£146
|
£150.42
|
£77
|
£1,585
|
100%
|
|
Harrow
|
£1,746
|
£1,050
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£170.07
|
£77
|
£1,721
|
99%
|
|
Southwark
|
£1,885
|
£1,300
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£133.88
|
£77
|
£1,846
|
98%
|
|
Tower Hamlets
|
£1,990
|
£1,430
|
£134.80
|
£30
|
£146
|
£128.93
|
£77
|
£1,948
|
98%
|
|
Westminster
|
£2,367
|
£1,842
|
£134.80
|
£30
|
£146
|
£71.54
|
£77
|
£2,302
|
97%
|
|
Islington
|
£2,152
|
£1,517
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£143.94
|
£77
|
£2,073
|
96%
|
|
Lewisham
|
£1,782
|
£1,100
|
£194.00
|
£30
|
£146
|
£150.85
|
£77
|
£1,699
|
95%
|
|
Hillingdon
|
£1,729
|
£1,000
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£141.69
|
£77
|
£1,642
|
95%
|
|
Merton
|
£1,900
|
£1,200
|
£194.00
|
£30
|
£146
|
£150.33
|
£77
|
£1,798
|
95%
|
|
Greenwich
|
£1,842
|
£1,150
|
£194.00
|
£30
|
£146
|
£143.93
|
£77
|
£1,742
|
95%
|
|
Lambeth
|
£1,970
|
£1,300
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£139.59
|
£77
|
£1,852
|
94%
|
|
Redbridge
|
£1,791
|
£990
|
£230.40
|
£30
|
£146
|
£156.07
|
£77
|
£1,630
|
91%
|
|
Kingston upon Thames
|
£1,987
|
£1,100
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£181.28
|
£77
|
£1,782
|
90%
|
|
Sutton
|
£1,754
|
£925
|
£230.40
|
£30
|
£146
|
£161.39
|
£77
|
£1,571
|
90%
|
|
Hammersmith and Fulham
|
£2,135
|
£1,400
|
£134.80
|
£30
|
£146
|
£102.91
|
£77
|
£1,892
|
89%
|
|
Richmond upon Thames
|
£2,127
|
£1,200
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£171.88
|
£77
|
£1,872
|
88%
|
|
Croydon
|
£1,783
|
£900
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£164.83
|
£77
|
£1,565
|
88%
|
|
Havering
|
£1,762
|
£875
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£166.96
|
£77
|
£1,542
|
88%
|
|
Bexley
|
£1,679
|
£800
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£159.91
|
£77
|
£1,460
|
87%
|
|
Wandsworth
|
£2,159
|
£1,365
|
£158.30
|
£30
|
£146
|
£75.10
|
£77
|
£1,852
|
86%
|
|
Bromley
|
£2,002
|
£950
|
£246.60
|
£30
|
£146
|
£146.28
|
£77
|
£1,597
|
80%
|
|
Rental data sourced: Mayor of London
|
|
Average earnings data sourced: ONS
|
|
Average council tax for each borough sorced: KFH
|
|
Other costs of living sourced: ONS
|
Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions.
If any post is considered to victimise, harass, degrade or intimidate an individual or group of individuals, then the post may be deleted and the individual immediately banned from posting in future.
Please help us by reporting comments you consider to be unduly offensive so we can review and take action if necessary. Thank you.
.jpg)
.png)
Join the conversation
Jump to latest comment and add your reply
Figures from the Mayor Sadiq Khan.... He’s got food down at £30 for the month!!!
Well, pulses, lentils and other budgie foods favoured by GR are cheap, although a major fire hazard during digestion!
Wow!! who would have thought that one of the most popular and populous cities in the world where everyone wants to come to would have high rents because there is insufficient rental property to meet demand!!!!!???
Perhaps S24 and SDLT might be part of the problem!!!??
Inability and infeasability to bring more rental stock to market is causing the problem.
Private LL are being forced out of business by bonkers Govt anti-private LL policies.
It is no wonder that tenants are having to share to make renting in London a feasable option.
Of course they could always do what increasingly London homeownwers are doing and that is to MOVE out of London to more affordable and many would suggest far more pleasant surroundings than in London!
With the night tube in operation it now makes sense to rent at the end of these tube lines
Epping for example takes 50mins to reach Central London and you are guaranteed a seat on the morning journey!
I'm sure rents are cheaper there than say in Leytonstone only about 20 mins tube journey from Epping Stn.
If tenants want to live near the 'bright lights' then they have to accept it will cost far more in rent.
There seems to be a view amongst the entitled GR generation that they should be able to afford their own flat where all the action is!
This has never been possible just even less so now.
Of course there is a political case to be answered to ensure that London is affordable for GR types.
This as such tenants are the lifeblood of a city as most of the workers come from this section of the population.
Perhaps there should be some sort of social subsidy for GR tenants recognising the contribution they make to London's economy.
London certainly needs the GR type tenants who are definitely struggling with high rents.
High rents are not caused by LL.
It is the market which determines rent levels.
In London this is principally caused by insufficient properties.
Hardly surprising in a densely populated city like London!!!!
It is of course disgraceful that there are thousands of luxury apartments vacant which are currently being used for speculative purposes and as a store of wealth.
Khan could at least insist these properties were occupied so ameliorating the current rental accommodation shortage.
But LL are NOT the problem.
The problem is there are now too few LL investing in too few rental properties caused by bonkers Govt anti- private LL polices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This article assumes only 1 wage earner per property. In my early renting days we lived (frugally) on my salary and saved my wife's entire salary towards the mandatory 10% deposit on our first home which was an hour's travel from work. With cheap 100% mortgages becoming more available, purchasing a property is not beyond those GR types who are paying high rents, but perhaps not in the bright lights whilst running leased cars and drinking £3 coffees. They can even get £7500 pa tax free from their spare room towards the mortgage.
lager at alex sw19 at £5.75 a bottle and place heaving
@robertbrown
The mere affrontary you suggest that a GR type should be deprived of their £3 daily latte!!!!!
You make a mockery of the GR lifestyle.
They consider they are entitled to it all now and and at what price they want it.
They consider it is the nasty mortgaged sole trader LL preventing them from their YOLO lifestyle.
Who do these greedy LL think they are charging market rents in one of the most expensive cities in the world!!!???
The mere idea of suggesting to a GR type that they cannot expect to have it all now is enough to have them choking on their £3 latte not that a GR type would even see the irony in that!!
I like most of us started from the bottom, I bought my first house for £5k, myself and my girlfriend (now wife) spent a year of weekends there covered in brick dust renovating, friends ?? would visit on a sunday afternoon after the pub and have a good laugh at us, who had the last laugh? would the present GR consider doing the same to get on the home ownership ladder? not on your life.
perhaps it would help if council tax was not so high--and public transport and utility costs--all influenced by govt!
GR want it all and yes they can have it all but not at my expense- Good luck with that. One day they will realise this maybe when they are living in a tent instead of a house that I made the sacrifice for so that thy could live somewhere for low entry costs. My parents rented in the sixties situation was the same. One persons wages paid rent the other paid for everything else. Double shifts & 2nd jobs were common
Ahh!! But GR has been sold the lie that all they needed to do was obtain a degree in media studies with a massive uni debt and then they could have everything handed to them on a plate.
Unfortunately for them most degrees are as much use as a chocolate teapot!!.
The poor darlings have yet to face up to some very bitter truths.
There are two ways of doing things
The easy way is not that easy and the hard way is f#####g hard.
GR has been poorly served by those who have sold the propaganda that all you need is a Uni degree and then everything is yours for no real effort.
I think GR are gradually being disabused of that notion and they aren't happy..............to say the least!!!!
Witness the idiots voting Labour who would strip them of their assets and tax them to the hilt.
Is GR the most naive generation to date!?
Somehow I think so.
Please login to comment