More rent than pay a mortgage in london

New figures just out show that renters in the capital outnumber homeowners for the first time in a more than a decade,  government data released yesterday shows that last year 898,000 London households were occupied by private renters.

The figures, which provide data from as far back as 2005, show that a decade ago just 405,000 households were renting, while 1,150,000 were paying mortgages.

“Generation Rent” as it has become known is for the greater part  made up of potential buyers who are trapped into paying high rents which give them little or no chance of ever saving up the deposit for a home of their own, or even if they do save a deposit  they have little chance of satisfying the earnings to value ratio required to obtain a mortgage due to spiralling house prices.

The number of households lived in by those with mortgages has sunk to 883,000, it just shows how the high house prices are affecting home ownership in London.

In a sign that ever increasing house prices are making it ever more difficult for generation rent, the number of households lived in by those with mortgages has sunk to 883,000.

The figures, which provide data from as far back as 2005, show that a decade ago just 405,000 households were renting, while 1,150,000 were paying mortgages.

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 12/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Commercial real estate is entering a new era powered by artificial intelligence CRE is now powered by artificial intelligence, automation, smart data, and digital-first workflows. For decades, the industry relied heavily on spreadsheets, disconnected systems, and manual administration. Today, technology is becoming central to…
Read More
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 11/5/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X. Do You Really Own Your Building’s Data? Commercial real estate is becoming increasingly dependent on digital infrastructure. Every smart sensor, HVAC system, access control platform, tenant app, and connected device inside a building is generating valuable operational data. The critical question many owners still fail…
Read More
Breaking News

Rental price and average salary tracker – April 2026

Mixed Rental Trends Emerge Across UK as Regional Price Gaps Widen Scotland recorded one of the strongest monthly increases, with average rents rising from £1,123 to £1,167 (+3.9% month-on-month), reinforcing continued upward pressure in the Scottish rental market. Northern Ireland also saw significant growth, with rents increasing from £887 to £920 (+3.7%), alongside a fall…
Read More
Breaking News

Seller over-expectation still impacting market

Home sellers still overpricing as just two regions see realistic price expectations The latest internal data analysis from House Buyer Bureau has found that just two regions, London and the South East, are currently seeing seller expectations align with market reality, whilst the rest of the country continues to price above market value, contributing to…
Read More
Breaking News

Fledgling homeowners cut costs by taking on fixer-uppers to achieve dream home

66% of first-time buyers bought a cheaper home because it needed DIY or renovation work done Many choosing a ‘fixer-upper’ were able to buy in their preferred location, add value and put their stamp on it DIY almost mandatory among first-time buyers, with 93% completing at least one project since moving in But three quarters…
Read More
Breaking News

House Price Index for April 2026 – Thoughts from the Indutry

The latest Halifax House Price Index for April 2026 shows that: – On a monthly basis, house prices remained largely static, down by just -0.1% between March and April 2026. Annually, house prices were up 0.4%, albeit this rate of annual growth had slowed from 0.8% the previous month. As a result, the average house…
Read More