Over a third of London "uninhabitable" for renters

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11 February 2019

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Over a third of London "uninhabitable" for renters - claim

A flat-share website claims typical rents in some 38 per cent of London are now so high they render the areas “uninhabitable” for average tenants.

Ideal Flatmate has based its claim on research looking at the average monthly income after tax for the residents in each borough excluding the City of London. It then calculated notional expenditure, including the the cost of renting a one bedroom flat, a travel ticket, a basic food budget, utilities, council tax and telecoms charges.

The data shows that the cost of living in London accounts for all, or more, of the money on offer for these average-paid tenants in 12 out of 32 London boroughs, with a further 13 seeing the cost of living - as measured by the site - account for 90 per cent or more of the average wage.

Perhaps unsurprisingly Kensington and Chelsea is the most expensive with what the website calls “a basic cost of living” of £2,452 a month, which is 117 per cent of the average monthly net pay in the borough.

Brent is close behind on 116 per cent, while 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.

“While Brexit uncertainty has seen a slow in the sales market, we’ve continued to see the level of London rents climb by nearly five per cent on an annual basis” claims Ideal Flatmate co-founder Tom Gatzen.

You can see the website's data below.

Borough	Wage	Rent	Travel	Food	Utilities	Council Tax	Internet	Total	Pay Percentage
Kensington and Chelsea	£2,102	£1,950	£135	£30	£146	£113	£77	£2,452	117%
Brent	£1,587	£1,250	£194	£30	£146	£151	£77	£1,849	116%
Hackney	£1,793	£1,495	£158	£30	£146	£138	£77	£2,046	114%
Hounslow	£1,740	£1,300	£247	£30	£146	£147	£77	£1,948	112%
Enfield	£1,585	£1,100	£247	£30	£146	£157	£77	£1,757	111%
Newham	£1,585	£1,200	£158	£30	£146	£127	£77	£1,739	110%
Camden	£2,008	£1,582	£135	£30	£146	£150	£77	£2,121	106%
Ealing	£1,704	£1,200	£158	£30	£146	£145	£77	£1,757	103%
Haringey	£1,772	£1,250	£158	£30	£146	£159	£77	£1,821	103%
Barnet	£1,741	£1,150	£230	£30	£146	£150	£77	£1,784	102%
Waltham Forest	£1,721	£1,075	£230	£30	£146	£163	£77	£1,722	100%
Barking and Dagenham	£1,585	£950	£230	£30	£146	£150	£77	£1,585	100%
Harrow	£1,746	£1,050	£247	£30	£146	£170	£77	£1,721	99%
Southwark	£1,885	£1,300	£158	£30	£146	£134	£77	£1,846	98%
Tower Hamlets	£1,990	£1,430	£135	£30	£146	£129	£77	£1,948	98%
Westminster	£2,367	£1,842	£135	£30	£146	£72	£77	£2,302	97%
Islington	£2,152	£1,517	£158	£30	£146	£144	£77	£2,073	96%
Lewisham	£1,782	£1,100	£194	£30	£146	£151	£77	£1,699	95%
Hillingdon	£1,729	£1,000	£247	£30	£146	£142	£77	£1,642	95%
Merton	£1,900	£1,200	£194	£30	£146	£150	£77	£1,798	95%
Greenwich	£1,842	£1,150	£194	£30	£146	£144	£77	£1,742	95%
Lambeth	£1,970	£1,300	£158	£30	£146	£140	£77	£1,852	94%
Redbridge	£1,791	£990	£230	£30	£146	£156	£77	£1,630	91%
Kingston upon Thames	£1,987	£1,100	£247	£30	£146	£181	£77	£1,782	90%
Sutton	£1,754	£925	£230	£30	£146	£161	£77	£1,571	90%
Hammersmith and Fulham	£2,135	£1,400	£135	£30	£146	£103	£77	£1,892	89%
Richmond upon Thames	£2,127	£1,200	£247	£30	£146	£172	£77	£1,872	88%
Croydon	£1,783	£900	£247	£30	£146	£165	£77	£1,565	88%
Havering	£1,762	£875	£247	£30	£146	£167	£77	£1,542	88%
Bexley	£1,679	£800	£247	£30	£146	£160	£77	£1,460	87%
Wandsworth	£2,159	£1,365	£158	£30	£146	£75	£77	£1,852	86%
Bromley	£2,002	£950	£247	£30	£146	£146	£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

*Some figures have been rounded up or down and the average rent given is for a one-bed property

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- Possession Friend
- 13 February 2019 10:35 AM
Wow,
Coincidentally well-timed for the Fitness ( sic ) for Habitation Act on 20/3/19
The country will need to Triple its No-win, No-fee solicitors and Quadruple the Income Tax we all pay to fund the Legal Aid claims.

- G romit
- 13 February 2019 13:17 PM
Misleading title to this article. How how can you declare a property uninhabitable based on the rent asked????

- G romit
- 13 February 2019 16:00 PM
NOTE TO SELF: If you want to live Kensington & Chelsea and only earn £2,102 don't rent a flat for £1,950 or get a better paid job.