to wonder how private renters in London can afford their rent if they have children?

[Belladonna666]

Rents are so out of kilter. In my area a 2 bed is now £325 per week on average. We just cannot afford this and even though my dh has a better than average paying job, this is insanity and we are thinking about upping sticks, even though I have lived here all my life. How do people, especially those with young children afford to pay private rents in London? It's just crazy and in my opinion so destructive for communities, individuals and the economy. Only the rich getting richer at the expense of everyone else.

What's so wrong with moving out of London? Lots of people relocate for job prospects or better schools. Why is so bad to relocate to reduce your cost of living?

It may not reduce your cost of living if your commuting costs are so high and it will definitely reduce your quality of life if you have a long commute. It may also not reduce your cost of living if you rely on family for childcare.

But, tbh, I don't know how anyone but the very rich or those who bought a while back afford the place as I have only been there for visits.

the landlords have big mortgages to pay, so the rents are high. Also maintaining properties costs a lot in London.

many London jobs (not all) pay a fortune - all those bankers, financiers etc. So those people can afford it. And why not, they work all hours and spend the rest of the time travelling so they deserve the money.

supply, demand, economics and all that. However it works. :-)

squeezing in is the answer.
families with two or more dc in small 2 bedroom places is quite normal.

That seems quite cheap for london to me!

most people on housing benefit are working - what happens if they can't afford to live near or commute to the job? Bus drivers, hospital porters, teaching assistants etc. You know, people who do something useful, not LIBOR fixers. Will London not need bin men? Dinner ladies?

We can't move as my elderly mum lives nearby and she needs my help quite a lot. Also commuting costs would outweigh most of the savings in rent/buying costs and my dh works enough hours aleady without having 2x2 hours extra commuting every day.

Bin men will be in social housing I would think any that's left and not being sublet that is

Does your mum own her own flat? If you're her carer, you might consider moving in with her or, if she rents, she moves in with your family so you can afford a larger flat.

Yes, she does own but her place would not be big enough for all of us.

We rent a lovely 2 bedroom flat in a part of London that borders Essex which is perfect for us. Easy commute into central London but a forest at the bottom of our road for our son.
It is a converted house so isn't as sound proof as some purpose built flats but it has character and we have a share of the garden.
We pay £950 a month in rent but originally the estate agent wanted £1000, we haggled :)
We could never afford to buy in this area so I'm going to enjoy living here while we rent!

we pay a bit more than you a week, but one have a one bed flat. we squeeze in to reduce commute (both time and costs) and to live in a nice location. we actually have enough space though imo, and are close to hyde park etc for outdoor space. (have small balcony big enough for bbq/ children chalking/water play/ sandpit etc- well one at a time)

children both in cotbeds still along one wall in bedroom. we also went minimalistic to save crap being stored. family know not to buy kids too much as havent the space.

everything has storage. so drawer under cot beds contain kids spare bedding, winter/summer clothes not used depending on season in one, and toys for rotation with ones out in the other. we have x4 drawers under king size bed.

sofa bed for visitors in lounge. dining table has storage in the middle. coffee table doubles as a play table for lego/trains etc and has 4 stools underneath that can be removed for extra seating. they open up as storage as this is where lots of the childrens toys are.

we didnt buy many 'child/baby related' things. so a baby gym that fodled behind sofa, but over a baby sheepskin rug, which we still use now as regular rug. clip on small highchairs. so no space used on floor. baby mat just added to a dresser in bedroom. one cotbed each. no moses basket/ cribs/ swinging chairs. buggy thats folds small and lasts 0-not used (bugaboo bee)

we sold all adult books (except referenc ebooks) and have a kindle each, no dvds etc, as subscribe to love flim/netflixs instead. only childrens books.

basically everything has two uses.

we dont have space for kids to run about etc, and they have learnt to be considerate of others if they are asleep/ill etc.we are members off all the local zoos/ widlife places/ national trusts/museums (which family members usually pay for annual membership as xmas/birthday presents instead of excess toys we havent space for, which is great). so we spend a fair amount of time out each day. the children have head to toe wet weather gear so can wallow in mud/puddles all year around!

We live in north Hampshire and my DH's commute is an hour and a quarter door to door. Rent is £1200 for a three bed roomed detached house. We moved out of London before we had children as we knew we would not be able to afford a house with a garden. Would hate to live in London anyway so it's not a problem.

drizzle why would bin men get counccil houses?

Then you squeeze in, Bella, the way forever does, or your mum sells her place and goes in with your and your DH to buy a place farther outside so you can have room for your family.

I knew plenty of people who grew up in places like NYC, London and Hong Kong where the two children - even opposite genders - shared the bedroom and the parents slept on a fold out sofa/bed.

our life is much better squeezed in. we would be no better off if we moved out.

we worked out we would need to pay for childcare 2 hours longer every day. (thats 20 hours a month extra)

commute fees for us both (currently walk/cycle)

and would hardly see each other is we moved out to somewhere with say a nice 3 bed terrace.

the prices would even out/ be more

Forevergreek, your children are still tiny. How long do you think you can sustain that squeeze for?

Bunkbeds and parents in the living room.

You either squeeze out or squeeze in. Would you buy a place to share with your mother? If you can find ground floor flat with a large garden you would be able to extend.

We pay £280 a week and get £70 a week housing benefit. My husband earns around 30k. If renting, lots of people can claim housing benefit they just don't know.

Rent in London are ridiculous, so is the fact that the council subsidise private landlord by paying housing rent - something needs to be done about it, I think shelter have started a campaign.

Well I was wondering, I know what 1/2 bed flats cost to buy outright round these parts (anywhere from 178K through to 300K) but in the news shopper this week there were loads and loads of HA shared ownership properties starting from 35,250 (Crayford, ok so its a bit of a run down area) 77k (Sidcup, nice end of Sidcup) and 64250 (Old Bexley - and thats about as posh as you can get round these parts).

So why aren't people looking further out? all those areas have mainline trains within a 7 min walk into Charing X/Cannon Street/Blackfriars/Victoria or a bus to Lewisham and get the DLR to pick up a tube.

They look really nice too - the Old Bexley one is next to a completely private conversion where one beds are close to 600K

Forevergreek you say you live near Hyde Park! Wow, how fantastic to live so close to the centre of London, no wonder it's not so big. Sounds like it works well for you currently.

"dining table has storage in the middle" wow good idea! where do you get that?
i am also for the squeeze in double use approach to be in a central london area nice street etc .

currently paying high rent - and it is frustrating that many of the flats around us are housing co-op/council owned and pay much less...but that's life

Something else I've noticed in local shop windows of late. Persumably mature folks with spare bedrooms, offering to rent out for £50pw - and clearly quite desperate because they nearly all say they will take smokers too.