How are average full-time workers affording to rent?

Yes, but my goal (dream?) was I wanted to move to the city cente to experience true 'city life' one time in my lifetime. So I wanted to be IN the city or walking distance.

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idk7643@reddit

A 20min bus ride is a 40min walk. You can still walk.

Also the city centre is the worst part of Manchester, I live a 20min bus drive away from it but I'm there maybe 3 times a year. You're not missing anything

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But I love Manchester, especially the city centre, so I know what I am missing... I moved to this area (originally to Sale, as couldn't find anything closer) from London/Essex because I loved Manchester so much after visiting for a weekend once.

I am now 20 min away by tram. It's over an hour walk for me tho, deffo can't pop out to the centre just for a coffee or a stroll, as I was dreaming of. I am in the city about 3-4 times a week.

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Lizbelizi@reddit

If baffles me someone fortunate enough to live in Sale with the nice parks and canal nearby, a few tram stops from Altrincham, would rather go for a stroll or a coffee in city centre. Each to their own I guess 🤷 I literally never go the centre unless I have to.

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Kamila95@reddit

I mean I loved Sale too, and wish I could've stayed there. But my rent went from £710 to £900 in one year... so it didn't make sense financially especially with the transport cost and time to the city. Plus there's no parks in Sale town centre. I still visit when I can though.

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Zephinism@reddit

In Wigan not too far away a house share is £400-450, 2-3bed is £800-900.

I was paying £1050 for a 1 bed flat in Bournemouth 4 years ago, I pay less for a 3 bed now.

Not a long commute to Manchester, ~30 mins.

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Sorry_Leopard9657@reddit

It's completely normal and makes me incredibly angry. What a disaster.

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lewisw1992@reddit

It's absolutely not normal. People just refuse to leave the cities.

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anp1997@reddit

This has been normal pretty much throughout history. Let's please not pretend we have it incredibly hard. The boomers were the anomaly l. Look back at any other period history and then come back and talk about today's living conditions haha

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pajamakitten@reddit

The issue is that young people were told they would be able to afford a house and would be wealthier than their parents/grandparents, based on the trends we had been seeing. The 2008 financial crisis happened, those trends have reversed and young people are being told to be grateful to live in house shares with strangers.

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Sorry_Leopard9657@reddit

It's never happened before, boomers are the anomoly and we are in the privileged position of witnessing it with our very own eyes... inspirational stuff!

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anp1997@reddit

I'm not trying to be inspirational, just realistic. You wrote this is a disaster as if this something other than the norm..

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continentaldreams@reddit

I mean, I lived in a flatshare until I was 28 and I had the best time. I met some great people and my social circle is better for it.

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Kamila95@reddit

The argument isn't 'flatsharing is bad'. But it's not normal that a person on an average/median salary can't even afford to rent a studio alone.

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trade-da-ting@reddit

In London that salary is not average or median

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TachiH@reddit

London isn't the UK, if you live in London you choose to live in that market. Average salaries are always calculated across a country.

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Ashley67899@reddit

'Choose to live' as if some of us aren't born and raised here.. I doubt you and majority of people would want to be forced out of their hometown but if it's London all of a sudden we should all just up and leave without a care in the world

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HellPigeon1912@reddit

I'm not from London and moved away from my hometown because of property prices.

It only seems to be Londoners who think they have a god-given right to live where they grew up, when leaving home and moving to where the work and housing are has been the norm rather than the exception for most of human history

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Sure and outside London you can easily afford a studio on £35k

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Kamila95@reddit

Yes OP says outside London and the top comment in the chain says up North, so I am talking non-London salaries.

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Outside London that salary can easily rent a studio in the Nottingham where I live. Can also in most other cities in the North

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CongealedBeanKingdom@reddit

Outside London that salary wouldn't get you a flat in one of the large cities. Definitely ot I manchester, unless you want a proper hole in a proper hole.

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trade-da-ting@reddit

There's 500 properties between a studio and 2 bed flat in Manchester on Rightmove for less than £1k. As you get 2.3k net after tax from £35k, I reckon you can find pretty decent places.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/87706299

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Kamila95@reddit

I tried to find anything (studio or 1bed) in Manchester city centre/walkable distance for under £900-ish two years ago and I didn't even manage to get a single viewing. I'd call immediately when apartments were posted and each time they were snatched before my scheduled viewing and they'd call me to cancel...

Also a lot of people on £35k have student loans and pay into pensions, take home might be closer to £2k. Then council tax + bills, total cost for £1k apartment is more like £1.3k.

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kifbkrdb@reddit

I rent a £900 / month 1 bed in Salford. It was £800 two years ago. It's ~35 minutes to walk to Market St so very walkable to town.

Lots of people who aren't from Manchester don't seem to want to live outside of trendy overpriced areas. 🤷

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Kamila95@reddit

I was moving from Sale, so I was already 30 min away (but by tram). I wanted to experience living in the centre of a large city for once. Anyway, it did not work out.

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trade-da-ting@reddit

What about this? Cos theres seems to be 90 odd properties less than 1k on the studio to two bed flat in Manchester City Centre?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/173853362

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Kamila95@reddit

I don't know what you're expecting me to say? I have spent over a month on rightMove/Zoopla, added myself to every agency's customer list, had daily alerts etc. And I was not able to find a property below £900 in Manchester 2 years ago. Places either got snatched up instantly or had some typa 'catch'.

I gave up and bought a place, as it was easier to find a place to buy than to rent. I think that shows how insane the market in Manchester is.

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CongealedBeanKingdom@reddit

Council tax in Manchester is £128 a month in Manchester, I've just checked my bill. Gas and leccy won't be cheap, maybe £100 a month. Internet and a phone can pile up too. Add in food, transport and having a bit of a life, which is expensive in Manchester, and there won't be a lot left. I mean, its doable.

I live in Manchester and earn that. I couldn't live here on my own, not a chance.

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Sure, depends on what you want. However, saying it's impossible to live on your own in Manchester City Centre is impossible is wrong. It's difficult and you have to see what you want to sacrifice but that's just life. A mix of trade offs to get the life you want.

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NibblyPig@reddit

Depends where the studio is located tbh

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quite_acceptable_man@reddit

Flatshares can be brilliant, and they can be awful. I've experienced both.

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IronspineLabs@reddit

Yup. I'm sharing a place with a couple of friends now and I like it a lot, but if I didn't have friends available, I'd bite the bullet and rent my own place. My flatsharing-with-randomer days are behind me.

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nathderbyshire@reddit

The only time my HMO was peaceful was when me and one other guy was there and we're both clean freaks. The estate agent was like, we have to reinforce people are living here because it still looked exactly like the pictures. After the rooms became full though it decended into chaos

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explodinghat@reddit

It is/ can be great but having my own place was always the dream. That still being possible and something I was working towards made the last couple of years (stopped sharing when I was 31) all the more bearable. I can't imagine still drudging along sharing now and having no realistic goal of getting my own place.

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Bacon4Lyf@reddit

I did it until I was 23 and hated it

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loofyg@reddit

I don't want to share with family let alone strangers!

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Id prefer to share with my mates over family any day

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ooooomikeooooo@reddit

I did too but it was people I lived with since uni. It felt like very much of an extension of student life and a delaying of being a proper adult. It was a choice. I couldn't think of anything worse than moving into a house of people I didn't know though.

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LongShotts@reddit

It makes me angry too. I only said to family an hour ago its hard running a house alone, so I either have to give my house up or rent out a room. It's a fuckin joke!

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Buy a smaller house

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LongShotts@reddit

Smart arse, I rent!

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P-l-Staker@reddit

Modern Serfdom basically. Work your ass off all day to have a fat lazy landlord (exclusions apply) reap up all your rewards! In return, said fat lazy landlord gives you a shoebox to live in your pitiful existence.

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JJY199@reddit

Boomers supported by boomer government

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HellPigeon1912@reddit

Oh yeah, to clarify I'm not bladé about it. It's normal and it's terrible

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Cautious-Toe-863@reddit

It's the same I'm Australia too where there's a housing shortage causing rental prices to increase.

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750volts@reddit

'wHy aRe pEoPlE nOt hAvIng kIdS'

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terransLoc@reddit

by your age i had 3 kids a house a car and a stable job..

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djw0bbl3@reddit

came here to read this.

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Critical-Pilot4267@reddit

no but literally, no one can afford it

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magical_matey@reddit

When I was your age I had 4 children and my own home!

Yeah fucking thanks for that mum, good one…

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tadanari19@reddit

I agree rents are way more than they should be, but that's definitely an exaggeration. Outside London/South-East, you can easily afford to rent a 1 bed place in a decent area on a 35/40k salary, even in more expensive places like Bristol/Manchester.

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Additional-Let-5684@reddit

He did say his range is 28-30k which is about average. The extra 12 000 makes a difference for rent yeah that's true I guess

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highrouleur@reddit

I've known a manager in his late 30s(on 70k ish) living with his wife and kids somewhere cheap but renting a room for himself in a house share in London where he stayed during the week for work.

There's something very wrong with property in this country

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Brave_Assumption6@reddit

Not where I live. Everyone's just on benefits and their UC pays it off for them.

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medievalskye@reddit

Jealous. I’m on uc and can’t find a single place to rent. I either don’t have enough or landlords don’t accept it.

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Brave_Assumption6@reddit

I can't help on that. But think about how have so many low class households in poor towns survived for so long? The welfare state just about does it for them. It's especially striking that it's more common than not for them to have several children - while at the same time working professionals with flat shares say they cannot even afford a child.

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Kami-Yeldo@reddit

They don't lol, they room share on that income

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LateNightTalker98@reddit

It’s the same in Oxford too tbf - 28 and in a house share

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Come Nottingham

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LateNightTalker98@reddit

My family is down on the east coast and I enjoy Oxford tbf I couldn’t see myself moving midlands or up north but never say never

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Just saying that if you really care about housing, East Mids is sick. 2 bed city centre flat for £850 per month from 2020-2024, then bought a 3 bed semi for £300k in 2024.

Most I ever paid in rent was the flat listed above.

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LateNightTalker98@reddit

That’s great work mate fair play to you. I do appreciate the recommendation but I’ll see what the future holds. I work near Oxford so career etc is here

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Yeah you can't find the same level of jobs tbh. Oxford provides far more interesting careers. But imma take a nice house over a fulfilling career

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LateNightTalker98@reddit

I do agree tbf if I could have a house/land and work less would be ideal - though I imagine most would say the same haha

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Rosehiphedgerow@reddit

Maybe I'm being daft here but.... £1k a month on rent would be £12k a year. That's less than half your annual salary if it's 30k no? Leaving £18k left for bills, tax, food, etc. Seems do-able to me, or am I missing something?

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OldGodsAndNew@reddit

30k salary is almoxt exactly 2k take home per month if you put 5% to pension.. that leaves you with 1k/month to cover council tax, all utilities, transport, food, other consumables, subscriptions and all your fun money. Not much

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Rosehiphedgerow@reddit

That's still do-able, though. It wouldn't be a great life but it's not impossible. Also, don't have to put anything into pension, or at least not as much

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ENTPrick@reddit

House share? Hopefully we’re not at room sharing, with that level of income yet

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Sea-Rabbit9852@reddit

I was close to moving to London for a job and noticed a flat share that said "room share". It did not compute in my head they actually were advertising a ROOM to share until I enquired about it.

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Melodicmat@reddit

that'll be the new normal in about 8 years, tbh! Adults sharing rooms in house share houses, like kids at summer camp lol

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ampmz@reddit

I’ve seen it in London unfortunately

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Uscourt3000@reddit

Why do people expect to be able to afford the luxury of living centrally in big city centers?? I commuted all my life… the last 20 years were a 3 hour round trip.

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marsman@reddit

A one bed flat near me is around £650/m, two bed between £100-200 above that, with some variation, city centre is a bit dearer in the newer blocks, cheaper in the older ones (which amusingly are larger), that's still too expensive, but I'd suggest it underscores that its affordable in some places (quite a few places I'd suggest). Houses (2-3 bed terrace) on my street currently go for around £800-1000/mo depending. Interestingly larger houses are way more expensive because most have been bought up as student lets (so a 5 bed house, becomes a 6 bed student house, at £100/pp/pw so bringing in almost £2400/mo..

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v_clandestine@reddit

Currently renting a room in a professional HMO. Got lucky with mine to be honest, lovely house and housemates. Also working as much overtime available at my job so I can pay off some debts and start saving for a mortgage deposit

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woaiai@reddit

I'm in a studio flat which is £550 a month including bills in the north! It took me forever to find one below 1k though lol

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Colloidal_entropy@reddit

Median Income is ~£39k. So the jobs you're looking at are towards the lower end.

If you're below median income that realistically it's rent with your partner or a room in a flat share

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letsLurk67@reddit

True but even then your take home is roughly £2,500 p/m so if you was to live on rent alone as OP said you’d only be left with around £1200 and that’s without the bills.

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Colloidal_entropy@reddit

In non-London £1000 gets you a good 1 bed, more likely £750-800 if you're a little bit flexible on location.

If you want something fancy in a tower in central Manchester it's a bit more but their target market is earning more.

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OldGodsAndNew@reddit

I pay £1000 for a huge 2 bed with a study in Glasgow, 20mins train to the city centre and walkable to the bougie west end areas

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SmugDruggler95@reddit

£1300 on rent for a single person outside london is absurd

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letsLurk67@reddit

I live in Bucks and 1 bed flats are going for like £1000-1300 p/m and this is like 45 mins away from London

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SmugDruggler95@reddit

Yeah so £1300 is the top end in easy commuting distance to london

I live in a commuter town in the South East and £1300 gets you a house

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KeyboardMash615@reddit

Most people will earn below the median income at 21. That median includes people who've been building careers for decades.

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mehmenmike@reddit

great insight

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SousukeUK@reddit

They don't.

Everyone shares.

Most of the places are now designed to be share by professional people.

Of yeah also we don't expect you to get married and have children at the 30K income.

Good luck out there.

I'm in 45K and I share, not married and single and poor 🙃 (trying living in South London in 45K)

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Try living on £45k in the east midlands. It's fucking great

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Joshgg13@reddit

Why are you trying to get everyone to move to East Midlands lol

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trade-da-ting@reddit

Cos people complain about housing costs, when they have great options all over the country.

To get the house and life I wanted I had to move North cos I wasn't going to make enough money in London to afford the life I want. And I think more people should be willing to do that if they are complaining about shit.

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pajamakitten@reddit

A lot of people want to live near family and/or do not have jobs in their industry available there.

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SousukeUK@reddit

Tell me about it.

My sister is in London cause her husbands work and kids.

Have to stay near to help her out wherever needed.

Also don't know if working at retail night shift up in north is on high demand!

And I do travel 4 times a year to east Asia, not sure about the flight setup, do I end up in London for it?

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pajamakitten@reddit

Wait until they see what does to house prices. Supply and demand will go crazy if everyone moved to Nottingham.

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Twisted_nebulae@reddit

As someone who grew up in Nottingham it does kind of shock me! All I remember really was my mum's house getting robbed, shootings outside of our next door neighbours etc.

I left to go to York (and Yorkshire) since 18 and it's a million times better here I'd never go back

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Floral-Prancer@reddit

It isnt that bad any more I left the midlands at 18 and now in my 30s I came back and its genuinely better than Brighton where I was.

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RobertTheSpruce@reddit

You must live like a king.

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trade-da-ting@reddit

I wish, but don't have many problems affording most things I like

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WalnutWhip00@reddit

Im on 30k and I don;t share half my salary goes to rent

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CaptainChristiaan@reddit

Uhm, they don’t? I can’t even blame Friends for this because they flatshare. Most people have shared before - this is just a fact of life in a city, you gotta be prepared to house share

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luckless666@reddit

Reading these comments are incredible, like flatsharing is some new phenomenon that people have only had to do in the last couple of years. It’s been common for decades and pretty much de facto for anyone in their 20s (and into early 30s in some cities) since the late 2000s

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SomeHSomeE@reddit

My Mum and Dad lived in a hostel in their 20s, and that was fairly common

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luckless666@reddit

I'm flabbergast - Reddit at its finest!

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Warm-Reference-4965@reddit

Whilst I'm not disputing the high prices of rent these days, it's always been the way.

At your age in the early 90s, I was sharing a big house with 5 others. No way could I have afforded rent on my own, neither could the others and a couple of housemates were on excellent salaries for our age. People gradually moved on as they got into serious relationships and could then rent or buy with another person.

I had the best time of my life in that house btw and one of my old housemates is coming to stay with me at the weekend, a lifelong friend.

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No_Atmosphere8146@reddit

"I had it bad too" bollocks. Your situation was rare. Now it's the norm. I used to rent a two bed terrace on a minimum wage phone pig job 20 years ago and still have enough to party every weekend. The same house now would likely cost nearly all of my monthly salary. You're wildly out of touch if you think what the kids are going through today is anything like what you or I went through.

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Crisps33@reddit

Rents definitely were cheaper when I was in my 20s, but we all still lived in house shares (if we didn't live with a partner) because why wouldn't you? The idea that you should have your own flat as soon as you leave home, and sharing is some kind of shameful ordeal, is new, I think.

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Warm-Reference-4965@reddit

OK well maybe it depends on areas. I was in north London and everyone started in a house share. Everyone, family, old school friends. It was certainly not rare. That house share was also a 4 bedroom house for 6 people with the living room and dining room used as bedrooms. The kitchen was the 'living room' and social area. The only exception was one girl I knew who had come into an inheritance and was able to purchase a 1 bed flat. That was the rare situation.

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Honey-Badger@reddit

Yeah honestly I think at 21 I would have been incredibly lonely if I lived alone. I actively wanted to live with my mates.

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MossTrinkets@reddit

I don't think "it was ever thus" really applies here given how the price of renting has outstripped inflation and soared after Covid. 12 years ago I lived with a partner in a one bed flat which we considered pricey for the area - £550 a month. He was earning 27,000 as a newly qualified teacher, I was on about ten grand working part time in a shop (graduate scrabbling). Today that same flat could easily command least £1000 and would be nigh-on unaffordable to a couple with the same jobs

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No_Negotiation5654@reddit

The big difference here is that I’m 22 and would need to share with 5 others to afford a 3 bedroom. Moving out of my parents house seems impossible without being in a relationship.

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mousecatcher4@reddit

Exactly that. This is nothing new. For at least 100 years, 21 year olds on an average salary renting alone in a big city would have been a stretch.

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Bayff@reddit

The difference is that they will be in the same situation when they are 29/30 if not worse because prices are still going up and wages are not.

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Resident_Win_1058@reddit

Same!

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Money_Afternoon6533@reddit

Even 15 years ago I had to flat share in my early 20s. Unless you live up north, renting your own place hasn’t been a thing for decades

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Gary_BBGames@reddit

It has for plenty of people. I was down South, in my 20s, and living by myself... as were plenty of people I knew.

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Money_Afternoon6533@reddit

Good for you, Gary.

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ReallyIntriguing@reddit

How dismissive of someone else's experiences against yours. Nasty peice of work.

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rainbow84uk@reddit

Same here, I didn't get to rent my own place until I was 29, and various friends in London were still sharing in their mid 30s.

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alwaysvalue@reddit

you have to be getting a good decent wage a job that offers bonus helps too

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haggis_catcher-@reddit

Location location location

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missgraceangel@reddit

I’m on my first job out of uni on 32k and renting a 1 bed in the midlands at £800 a month. Between bills paying off my student overdraft and putting £100 away im not left with much but I’m surviving

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Ok_Corner8128@reddit

Especially if they work in London, also Locak Government employees, Police, Fire etc

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ClericalRogue@reddit

Yea thats the fun part. You dont 😭

I mean, you could house share. Thats what im doing. Im lucky as the 2 people i share with travel with their work a lot, so i dont see them that often. Im still stretching my income but its affirdable for now.

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jack_hudson2001@reddit

room share or live with parents....

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knightsbridge-@reddit

They stay in flat shares and/or rent rooms.

Unless they're in social housing, low wage workers aren't affording self-contained flats.

When I met my husband, he was a masters graduate working his first job, and he was living in a bedroom in an HMO because that's what he could afford at age 25 on his starter salary.

That's reality. It's why so many people don't move out at all.

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PM_ME_VAPORWAVE@reddit

Imagine what it’s like for people in London!

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matthewjameshoyle@reddit

I pay £700 for a 3 bed 4 story house on a river front in a very nice area in West Yorkshire I’m shocked at what everyone on here is saying they are paying?

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tvscanner99@reddit

Don't rent alone is the answer. Do you know a few people (friends, family, etc.) who you'd be happy to share a flat with? Doing that will save you a considerable amount of money.

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Racing_Fox@reddit

You’re on 30k full time?

Ouch

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MCL-Jonathan@reddit

Get a house share instead

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Disastrous-Theme-208@reddit

Not sure what area it is you're looking at but I've just checked on Rightmove for my local area as the prices you gave seemed high. There's over 100 properties for rent within 5 mile radius of my postcode that are £1000pm and under and that includes a fair few 2 bed houses.

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Melodicmat@reddit

unfortunately, the days of someone being able to have their own place on their own have gone (unless you are super well paid and/or living in an extremely cheap area)

I know LOADS of people in their 30's and 40's who still live at home, and the other singletons are living in a massive house share with a load of strangers.

It's a tragic situation. A full time worker should be able to afford their own place, and even some little 'treats' to actually enjoy being alive. But yeah, that's a million miles away from reality

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Kaurblimey@reddit

Flat share until you find a partner and hope for the best

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ShelterLazy8044@reddit

I split with my ex of 15 years a year ago and I’m only just now getting my own place. 2 bed flat through a housing association for £575 per month. My money just rose to 30k per year this month. Once I pay my debts off I’ll have around £200-250 per month left over after all bills including car insurance and fuel

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alittlechirpy@reddit

It’s difficult to afford to rent or buy a house now unless you live as part of a couple and you both work and split the bills. It’s much harder for singletons unless they earn £50k alone. Also depends where you live as rent pricing is much lower in some areas.

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ChefGrouchy8538@reddit

i make £25,000 a year and live alone its shit, its survival not living

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skrew86@reddit

Look for somewhere more affordable. You don't need a 3 bedroom house. A small flat or a 2-up, 2-down is fine.

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SomebodysSun@reddit

I live in an ugly counsel flat alone. Long story to make the government prioritise me

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MonkeyBoy697@reddit

All depends where you live, where I live in Durham I earn £37k a year and you can rent a 2 bedroom apartment from £600 per month, 2 or 3 bedroom houses from £700 per month so it’s fairly easy (though I bought my 3 bedroom house for £125k)

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OriginalStockingfan@reddit

I can only afford it because my wife is well paid. If we were both on my average salary, we’d have to severly cut back to afford the payments. It’s got to end soon, the ever increasing cost rises are hurting the poor and the middle income to reward the rich. That can not be sustained at this rate.

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OkGrapefruit7174@reddit

I manage cause I’ve a partner, I’ve no idea how single people can

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Poethegardencrow@reddit

With great difficulty.

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Joshgg13@reddit

I'm 23, on about 33k live with 5 other people. It's honestly not that bad though, we have quite a big kitchen and a garden and all have en suites. My rent is 950, all bills included, in Greater London. I'd obviously prefer to live on my own but I'm pretty okay with the way things are

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jacobsnemesis@reddit

I sympathise with you but the reality is £28/30k is a low wage and unfortunately in today’s market, you’re very unlikely to be able to afford renting an apartment on your own.

Most people who rent on their own are on 40k+ and even then, it’s likely tight financially unless they’re getting closer to 70k+

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Obvious_Goat_764@reddit

I’m on £28k ish and I live on my own in Greater Manchester. My rent is under £700 a month but my place is a bit of a landlord special.

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Ok_Introduction_1882@reddit

Housing association ooop North. My rents £525 a month. Thats in a nice rural village as well. Though I think 80% of their houses are in grotty dumps to be fair.

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continentaldreams@reddit

You rent in a flatshare. I shared a flat with my friend until I moved in with my boyfriend (now husband) and my financial situation improved overnight, cos we only needed a one bed.

My advice? Get shacked up - you get punished for being single in this world!

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nathderbyshire@reddit

Even just living with a friend but that can go really wrong as well. There's about 5 of us in the world probably who successfully share with a friend. We had a friend lodge with us for a short time and that also made us all fall out

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Mr_Coastliner@reddit

Yeah I did a fair few with friends in my 20s as well as during Uni. A lot of people will appreicate having experienced it before moving in with a partner as your mates can call out the super annoying things you do before you have the real run.

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WalnutWhip00@reddit

By half of my salary going to rent lol

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fernofry@reddit

Welcome to the world buddy. You aren't getting that nice flat in the nice part of town with your first salary

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qbnaith@reddit

We don’t.

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No-Door-3181@reddit

I’m renting a studio all bills included while working part-time. Don’t ask me how

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donaldstinypeepee@reddit

How?

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anuj_sabhlok@reddit

HMO

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TachiH@reddit

Covid amongst other things fucked the rent market. There was a 25-40% rise across the country in a matter of a few years. Rent control laws in Europe kept them relatively safe but we as usual got screwed.

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Pepsi997@reddit

I pay £975 for an okayish two-bedroom flat in a good area close to the city centre. I’m lucky that I can split the rent and bills with my partner because otherwise I’d be spending like half of my salary 😭 before we met I used to rent a room in a house share

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Firm_Environment_808@reddit

Impossible to live by yourself unless your minted or banked by mummy and daddy. Me and my partner have a combined salary of 100-110k and we were renting in Crystal palace, 3k rent and all bills a month, council tax etc.

We now do the help to buy scheme, which isn't the best but has reduced our monthly out goings to about 2.5k with everything. Do have a really nice flat tho...

I've only ever lived with a partner or a mate or at my mums, living alone has never been an option.

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Bayff@reddit

Renting in Crystal Palace is the reason there.

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Firm_Environment_808@reddit

West Norwood/ Tulse hill was more expensive where we live before. I have mates in Carshalton what pay the same rent as me, Palace has very little to do with it. Rent is crazy

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Aetheriao@reddit

3k rent and bills in carshalton lmao. For a full family home sure, irrelevant to OP however. But can still easily live in a 3b for less.

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Bayff@reddit

You are inside the M25 matey, of course it’s expensive. Just because you moved from a more expensive place doesnt meant where you are currently isn’t expensive.

Palace has everything to do with it lmao.

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srogijogi@reddit

It depends where you want to rent, but in general renting whole place on your own is either not realistic or optimal option. Your expectations are too high.

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duvagin@reddit

HMO

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Non-wholesomechungus@reddit

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HotCommunication1696@reddit

You say out of London, but where out of London? Loads of cities are just as expensive as London these days. Brighton, Canterbury, Southampton, Manchester, etc are all just as bad so just being “not London” doesn’t cut it anymore

You need to move out of whatever city centre you’re living in OP if you want your own place. City centre living is for house shares, dual income households, and high income singles in those very expensive apartments you’re looking at

You can easily get a 1 bed flat for sub-£900 even in the south east if you’re not in London or a popular commuter town. Even cheaper in a lot of places up north. So either find a roommate or move if raising your income isn’t an option

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wagwanterry@reddit

I'm not. I'm at home with my mum at 29 lol. The only ones I know who have a house on a mortgage had mummy and daddy give them £20k for a house deposit or nan died and left them £30k. Others are just house sharing in their mid 30's early 40's

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Aetheriao@reddit

It hasn’t been normal to rent alone barley above minimum wage for easily 20 years.

So the answer is you.. don’t. This isn’t some recent issue for 21 year olds outside of very cheap areas. In fact NMW has outpaced rent in the last 10 years.

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medievalskye@reddit

I got diagnosed with autism when I was 14, so that with my social anxiety I simply can’t share. The reason I want my own place is because other people really irritate me and cause me to have meltdowns. It’s either have extreme meltdowns with my family (who may times cause them) or strangers.

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lofrench@reddit

£33k salary and I pay £1,200 for a studio and I have zero saving but still enough to get by and do some travelling so I just accept until I’m in a relationship and can split rent I’m gonna be broke

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Pshend@reddit

I'm almost 30 and live in a shared house on a £36k annual income.

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DECKTHEBALLZ@reddit

Mid market rent.

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spanakopita555@reddit

I shared with friends, then a boyfriend, then strangers, then my husband. It's not realistic to get a whole place as a single person unless you are making bank.

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Bright_Spark_UK@reddit

Flatshares and houseshares are normal in most places in the UK until you find a significant other to move out with to share the rent in a new place.

I also lived with couples being part of the houseshares all through my 20s - and this was in the 90s and 2000s.

If it was like that 20-30 years ago (at least in London and Leeds) then it’ll be worse now.

I feel like you’re expecting way too much as a 21yo, especially by today’s standards.

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honesto_pinion@reddit

Oh how we laugh...you are a single person, under 30, making a decent wage, house shares are meant to be the thing. We all did it, we all have to do it, for some reason people have got it into their heads that it's normal to have an entire place to yourself, at any income level, at any age, and it simply isn't.

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MontyDyson@reddit

Ross had one and he was only a palaeontologist!

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Sgt_major_dodgy@reddit

I used to live alone, was barely making £20k a year but my rent was £350 per month for a terraced house with two bedrooms.

There was only two houses on the terrace and ony side was an empty building that used to be a computer repair shop, then my neighbor and then a cafe.

This was in 2018 until 2020 so I imagine the rent has gone up since then but not by a crazy amount.

It was so good, there was a quiet old man pub 40ft up the road and then train station about 3mins walk the other way so I could head into Liverpool. There was also about 4 shop's within 5mins walk and a big B&M 10mins away.

Looking back that was a great little house and gutted I had to move.

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Purrtymeow04@reddit

house share is the only way to live in a shitty salary tbh

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Some_Masterpiece6639@reddit

Really you should be entitled to a council flat, but unfortunately they only allocate council properties out to people on benefits and those who are “priority of need” which is wrong as council properties should be for everyone especially those earning a under a certain salary.

You should be able to afford to live alone but unfortunately you don’t get a concession on rents and mortgage payments for being single which you should do in an ideal world.

It seems like your own flat to yourself is a luxury nowadays, when it’s a mark of independence and adulthood having your own place to yourself.

Buy to let jacked up the prices for first time buyers, and forced everyone into HMOs, when boomers were buying houses in their early 20s on one income.

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Ill-Opportunity8918@reddit

I was paying £800 a month last year. It was in a well to do area but the place needed some updating. I'm on about 2k a month. As long as I had about £100 a week to myself after bills I was fine.

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JudgePrestigious5295@reddit

I live in Cambridgshire pay £1k pcm for a two bed house.

A grand for a flat is just insane.

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PetersMapProject@reddit

I'm 15 years older than you and even for my generation, we were all in house shares until we got into a serious relationship and moved in with them.

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No_Ring_3348@reddit

I'm 10 years older than you and it was the same for us. My first post-uni place was a 2 bed flat with 3 drunk young men living in it, absolute havoc.

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ProfessorYaffle1@reddit

They don't. They either compromise and rent somewhere that is not as nice, or they rent in a lower COL area and have a longer commute, or they live in shared accommodation, whther that's sharing with a partner or living in an HMO and sharing with others.

In fairness, that's been the case for quite a long time. It's 30 years since I was 21, I don't recall any of my single friends at that time , or for a few years afterwards, being in a poisition to rent alone. Housing costs in general are higher compared to wages than they were, but mostly, signle people can't start off at 21 in a place of their own

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ultraboomkin@reddit

House share. On a low income like 25-30k, you’re never going to be able to rent a place on your own, assuming you want to live somewhere that’s actually nice.

Work hard, progress in your career; and in a few years you’ll be earning enough to rent alone.

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Theallseer97@reddit

I'm fortunate? Enough to live in a council flat so I can afford to live alone but in all honesty if I was renting privately I would struggle immensely. It's only thanks to being in council housing that I can. I'd love to rent privately as I don't really need the council housing anymore and other could use it but I would then be back in the same situation so what does one do? The rent prices are disgusting and something needs to be done. The fact I know people in their 30s and 40s living back with their parents because they can't afford to live alone is outrageousm it's one thing to do that as a cultural thing or because you want to, it's a other thing entirely when it's because you literally can't afford to live alone as a grown ass adult. Bloody government is useless no matter who's in charge.

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Exita@reddit

Living alone has always been pretty rare. We’re actually not far off the highest ever percentage of single person households - but it’s still not common.

Basically, you need an above average salary to afford to live an above average life.

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slemsbury@reddit

With great difficulty. The rental market is fucked out of control, I'm living in a fucking shoebox and it still eats up more than half of my earnings. I wish I had some better advice to share, but honestly you just have to really be careful about how you spend your money and make sure your rent is due to go out right after pay day. Good luck out there 🫡.

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kavik2022@reddit

Same, im on around 28k. And found a small flat for 525. Although i lived in a houseshare for 5 years

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daviddawson325@reddit

Housing benefit and work less hours you end up better off

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Timely_Note_1904@reddit

Average full time wage is closer to £40k. And lots of people do go for house shares instead. Or apartments that you probably wouldn't call decent.

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5unzoo@reddit

I really do wonder what the market is going to be like in the next few years..

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CatsChat@reddit

I’m a Gen Xer so 21 was some time ago for me. I never had my own flat, always house shared until I moved in with my now-husband into a one bed flat. All my friends and everyone I knew did the same. I had one friend who rented a bedsit by herself, but she was earning 3x what I was earning at the time. I knew other people (mainly backpackers) who slept 2 or 3 to a room. It’s tough out there but the past wasn’t as rosy as some paint it either.

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REidson89@reddit

Me and my partner rent together, but I'm not sure were going to work out and I cant afford solo rent, don't know what I'll do! Feel too old for flatsharing, Im quite scared.

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Healthy_Spite_2334@reddit

people are often supported by their parents well through their 20s and even into their 30s

Getting an extra 700 a month for rent is pretty standard for children of homeowners.

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meisobear@reddit

That's not standard hoss

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SneezlesForNeezles@reddit

Where on earth is that coming from? My parents were happy to subsidise my housing if I lived at home. When I moved out there was no option for financial assistance.

They assistance consisted of letting me move back a year or so later.

Genuinely never heard of anyone getting more than occasional treat money from parents once they've moved out.

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jabbo13@reddit

Pretty standard for who?

I know many people with parents who own homes, they do not get 700 a month off them.

Ridiculous statement

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VolcanicBear@reddit

Is it?

How many people do you know who are actually given that?

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Chance-Bread-315@reddit

Getting an extra 700 a month for rent is pretty standard for children of homeowners.

Is it? I'd better call my mum

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DanTheVan007@reddit

Pretty standard? I wish

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LifeNavigator@reddit

Either cohabiting or earning high income whilst living in a cheaper area that is a town or two away from your actual work place.

Im thinking of changing jobs and a lot of jobs in my sector are now hybrid. Majority of the good paying jobs are in London. I'm stuck between paying double the rent price I currently pay to be closer to London or pay extortionate train fares along with long delays to commute twice a week.

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JoeDaStudd@reddit

With those values I'm assuming your looking for central nice apartments in one of the other big cities.

If your widen your net you should find sub £1k flats, they might be bedsits but they be house shares.

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CoffeeIgnoramus@reddit

Here is my honest analysis. It's not a criticism of you, just something I think we all struggle with but you're brave enough to ask:

- You're young, it's normal (sadly) at your age not to have a "decent" place to yourself. Many people share in HMOs or with friends or partners.

- Along the same line, I do think we all have been brought up by a generation that was wealthy (in general) and we also compare ourselves to their lifestyle when we grew up/now which is at an older stage in life which we've not even reached yet. So I do think our expectations are much higher than reality. I'm noticing this in friends who are almost upset they don't own a 4-5 bed house by 30, yet when you ask, they compare themselves to their 50 year old parents who have an extra 20 years of earnings behind them.

- Rent massively depends on where you live. I live in a fairly expensive place but even here, you can find small 1 bed flats for less that £1k. So maybe consider other areas to live in.

- And as someone else has pointed out, the average is much higher. Depending on what calculation you use, I've seen everything from £34k-£37k.

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LieSuccessful8813@reddit

If you’re lucky enough to have a solid partner, living together definitely helps in this economy because sharing rent and bills makes things far more manageable. But finances alone shouldn’t be the reason to get into a relationship. For many single people, HMOs are probably the most realistic option right now. Housing affordability really needs fixing.

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muffinhuffinpuffin@reddit

You don't. You find somewhere that is not decent or you house share/rent a room.

I had to house share until I was 28, then managed to get a crappy flat of my own to rent. And I was earning above average salary at the time. You are earning below average, you need to manage your expectations.

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ross-dirext-words137@reddit

You need to get away from London into much cheaper places. Graduate wages in Scotland start on 30k now and typical first time buyer's houses are 150 to 200k even in larger city's like Edinburgh and Glasgow.

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ApplicationOrnery563@reddit

Where are you trying to rent I live in Essex in a bungalow and rent is under 1k a month. And I think it's normal. I can see the prices being right for London or maybe other cities

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ben_jamin_h@reddit

I lived in house shares until I had a long term relationship. When that broke down, I went back to sharing until I met my wife.

I wouldn't dream of renting a place on my own, cos how could anyone afford that!?

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Icy-Belt-8519@reddit

I don't know how I would have managed without social housing honestly when I was on that much, plus uc top up, it's crazy

We looked at renting privately recently and we just can't afford it on a higher wage so social housing saved us again and we're buying but it's shared ownership

I don't know how people manage

I think house share or social housing are the only affordable options, but both arnt necessarily accessible

I know alot of people get a somewhere to rent that allow sub let's and rent that way

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Pianist_585@reddit

You either suck it up with a bedsit or studio that will take all your money or go for a flatshare.

If a decent flat is between £1-1.7k a flatshare with another 1 or 2 people will be around £700-1k.

I recommend a flatshare as it gives you a chance to save so you can have an emergency fund or plans for travel.

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geeered@reddit

£28 is 13% over minimum wage. You either get your minimum wage job somewhere cheap to live or share with others - be it family, a house share etc. For the most part, being on 13% over minimum wage it has always been a struggle to get your own 'decent apartment' in most parts of the country.

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rocketscientology@reddit

You live in a flatshare. I’m in my 30s and nearly everyone I know lives with flatmates if they don’t live with their partner, it’s completely normal especially in London. I’m one of about four people I know who lives alone without a partner, and I lived with flatmates up until last year.

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Otherwise, yeah, you're going to have to house share. It's pretty normal on that salary.

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krone_rd@reddit

Tbh my first salary in london was around 40k(?) and my rent was 1.5k was it wasn't too difficult (this was 5 years ago)

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