“The number of individuals forced to flatshare well into their 40s has risen dramatically, with figures showing a surge in middle-aged renters priced out of the property market and with little choice but to live with strangers.
Between 2009 and 2014, the number of flatsharers aged between 35 and 44 rose by 186%, according to Spareroom, the UK’s biggest flatshare website, while the number of sharers aged 45 to 54 went up by 300%.
Most are locked out of buying by soaring house prices, but also find that renting their own property is unaffordable. Average rents across Britain have gone up by 10.5% over the past year, far ahead of the rise in earnings, with the typical London rent now £1,558 a month, and close to £1,000 across much of the south of England. Tenants are typically handing over 50% of their salaries to landlords, rising to 72% in the capital.” …..
East Devon Watch 