Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

My professional salary only just covers my rent. How can this be?

504 replies

Rentmakesmepoor · 19/09/2023 09:20

I am an occupational therapist in the NHS. I am a single parent. After tax, student loan and pension I take home roughly £1900.
I live in the South East of England. My rent is £1750 a month for a 3 bed, SMALL semi detached house with a courtyard garden

How is it that we have got to the point in this country that my salary literally just pays for my rent and nothing else??

I am permanently skint. I am not looking for solutions as I do nd claim everything I can (which is not alot).

But how can this be?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
TenderDandelions · 19/09/2023 11:17

Southeastdweller · 19/09/2023 11:05

The answer might be for the OP to take some self-responsibility and improve her situation by doing some of the suggestions here. Moving to a two bedroom house being one of them.

Show quote history

With 4 growing children? That'd be easy, sure! I'm sure a landlord would love that.

Even if it was physically possible to get 5 people in to a 2 bedroomed house, it's likely that she would be turned down by a landlord.

There is so much competition for private rents that each house had a number of people going for it and the landlords choose the best candidate.

If you were a landlord of a 2 bedroomed house, who would you choose:

Candidate A - professional couple both earning a reasonable salary, no children, could still pay the rent even if one of them lost their job; or

Candidate B - single parent, relying on UC and Child Benefit to be able to afford the rent, and wants to squeeze 4 children in to 2 bedrooms.

The OP's situation has highlighted a knock on effect of the housing price crisis that I'd never considered before as I am (fortunately) of an age where I did manage to get on the property ladder when housing was more affordable.

Had she and her partner/husband been able to afford to buy a property themselves, they'd have more than likely had life insurance to cover the mortgage and she wouldn't have to pay £1,750 out each month for accommodation.

Very few people that don't need life insurance to cover a mortgage would think to get life insurance otherwise.

So, not being able to afford to buy a house when she was part of a couple has condemned OP to potentially a lifetime of overpriced rents.

If there's one lesson to learn from this for others it would be to seriously consider life insurance for your partners/husbands, even if you don't own a property and especially if you have children.

SueVineer · 19/09/2023 11:18

Spendonsend · 19/09/2023 09:36

Its all very well blaming OP for living in the south east, but how at a society level are we tackling that essential jobs cant afford to live in the south east.

I also live in the south east. My son has OT. I dont want to travel to a cheaper area of the country once a week for OT because all the OTs moved.

I'm slso suspicious if all the OTs, SaLTs and everyone else moves to cheaper areas of the country, they won't be cheaper areas of the country anymore.

Its also not OPs fault that decades of government have pursued london centric policies.

That’s true enough but op will be eligible for government help where she lives. She would get less uc if she lived in cheaper areas (I have family who rent a small 3 bed for £600 pcm).

SusiePevensie · 19/09/2023 11:18

Thing is, OP isn't asking for a castle, or to be bailed out. She wants to be able to live in a 3 bed house, while doing a hugely socially useful job that saves the country many many thousands of future physical and mental health costs.

Testingprof · 19/09/2023 11:18

IslandsInTheSunshine · 19/09/2023 11:13

Some posts here are ridiculous.

Going back 40 years, very few teachers or nurses could afford to buy in the SE on a single salary.

It's not new. People will still stay in the south because they want to.

The north is crying out for doctors and they can't get anyone to move there. yet housing is so cheap, the quality of life is far greater (and for teachers and nurses too.)

Many professionals rent and manage to save a deposit, or go for shared ownership or buy with a partner or a friend.

@Rentmakesmepoor If you had written your first post in a different way, you'd have had different responses.

Maybe you should have said you your partner died. That you had 4 children, etc.

It really is new. I don’t know what you are talking about 40 years ago… in the area I live (London) teachers could definitely afford to buy in the 80s. In fact a non professional single income could buy in pretty central London. I know as several family members did.

SleepingStandingUp · 19/09/2023 11:20

Hufflepods · 19/09/2023 10:53

@Nowanextraone I am not bloody choosing to

It is a choice to live in a 3 bedroom house when you can't afford it.

It isn't that easy tho.
Rents have gone up so much that it's harder to move and get a new place now than to stay put.

Magicpaintbrush · 19/09/2023 11:21

Sorry you've had so many harsh replies OP, you don't deserve it. I swear there are people on here who just float around looking for somebody to stick the boot into and you're an easy target - would they speak to you like this to your face? I doubt it. I'm sorry for all of your troubles, life is shit sometimes, it really is.

IslandsInTheSunshine · 19/09/2023 11:21

@Testingprof Your experience of the past differs from mine then.

I knew a friend who earned £6000 as a teacher in the late 1970s, lived 40 miles south of London. The cheapest houses available were £20K. Mortgages were 2.5 times a salary.

Outcome- unable to buy.

andrainwillmaketheflowersgrow · 19/09/2023 11:21

Fallingthroughclouds · 19/09/2023 11:11

Sorry £150 not £250. Impossible surely??

OP will receive benefits.

actualpuffins · 19/09/2023 11:22

I was shocked to read average rent in London is now £3000 a month. Average. That's three times our mortgage payment - in the SE also. Rent controls are long overdue.

kerrywhatKERRYWHAAAT · 19/09/2023 11:22

It's the area you're in unfortunately. That's a lot for rent. I live in a 3 bed terrace and pay £700. Previously a large 4 bed detached, area a bit more expensive than what I'm in now but even that was still £500 less compared to what you are paying.
I'm in wales not England, so while not the cheapest part of the UK certainly not that expensive unless it's Cardiff. Can you move? I know that's easier said than done.
The gap between wages and house prices is getting bigger and bigger. It's becoming impossible for a lot of people.

CherryMaDeara · 19/09/2023 11:23

I once asked for advice on moving to a cheaper area and the same posters destroyed me for even considering moving my children away from their schools, grandparents and where we have lived since I was born.

Sorry, but I just don't believe this. No one is going to 'destroy' a single parent for this, OP.

MNers are practical, they're going to advise you to live the way you need to do to put a roof over your kids head.

I think you got the thread you were hoping for.

HappiestSleeping · 19/09/2023 11:23

Whataretheodds · 19/09/2023 10:47

And many landlords have not faced rising costs but have put the rent up anyway.

Show quote history

This is true too, I did say 'some' as they aren't all greedy.

TripleDaisySummer · 19/09/2023 11:24

There are large swaths of the country we just can't afford to live in.

This includes bit of midlands I was raised in - its near M40 and quite nice. My siblings can only remain in the area as they manged to get HA housing.

How did we get here - we haven't built enough housing for decades under Lab and Con governments - everyone know there an issue and very little at national level has been done.

Areas with higher employment and higher wages worst hit like SE - but city DH use to work in SW was attractive to people priced out of London - so people like us were push to cheaper area housing - pushing locals here on lower wages further out again. This has been happening for decades - area I grew up in was being affected as a child. IL live in a town not attractive till last few decades now people in nearby cities are force out look to it meaning locals with lower wages increasingly struggle.

In both my family area and IL area big housing projects have been blocked for years by locals at same time there is a housing shortage driving up rents and buying prices.

If you can't cover your costs you increase income or decrease out going or fall into massive debts - none of those are easy options and often come up huge compromises and sacrifices.

elderflowerandpomelo · 19/09/2023 11:24

OP, if you ever come back - it is terrible and WRONG. I can’t see how anyone can possibly defend this situation. I’m sorry.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 19/09/2023 11:24

actualpuffins · 19/09/2023 11:22

I was shocked to read average rent in London is now £3000 a month. Average. That's three times our mortgage payment - in the SE also. Rent controls are long overdue.

You know average just means "all of them added up, divided by how many there are" right?

So the mansions and what not are totally skewing the stats there. The majority of bog standard homes will be under 3kpcm, probably even under 2kpcm, but the vast costs of renting the mansions drags the average up.

Mari9999 · 19/09/2023 11:24

@Rentmakesmepoor
The sad but obvious truth is that you have chosen a location not consistent with your resources. That is not an unusual situation. When choosing a location in renting or purchasing it is necessary that you choose within your price range.

SueVineer · 19/09/2023 11:24

TenderDandelions · 19/09/2023 11:17

With 4 growing children? That'd be easy, sure! I'm sure a landlord would love that.

Even if it was physically possible to get 5 people in to a 2 bedroomed house, it's likely that she would be turned down by a landlord.

There is so much competition for private rents that each house had a number of people going for it and the landlords choose the best candidate.

If you were a landlord of a 2 bedroomed house, who would you choose:

Candidate A - professional couple both earning a reasonable salary, no children, could still pay the rent even if one of them lost their job; or

Candidate B - single parent, relying on UC and Child Benefit to be able to afford the rent, and wants to squeeze 4 children in to 2 bedrooms.

The OP's situation has highlighted a knock on effect of the housing price crisis that I'd never considered before as I am (fortunately) of an age where I did manage to get on the property ladder when housing was more affordable.

Had she and her partner/husband been able to afford to buy a property themselves, they'd have more than likely had life insurance to cover the mortgage and she wouldn't have to pay £1,750 out each month for accommodation.

Very few people that don't need life insurance to cover a mortgage would think to get life insurance otherwise.

So, not being able to afford to buy a house when she was part of a couple has condemned OP to potentially a lifetime of overpriced rents.

If there's one lesson to learn from this for others it would be to seriously consider life insurance for your partners/husbands, even if you don't own a property and especially if you have children.

Show quote history

Op said that she didn’t have life insurance for her ex as he had a health condition that meant he couldn’t get it so nothing to do with not being property owners.

While it’s not the same for everyone, many have life insurance through work and/or independently. It’s not really necessary to take out life insurance when getting a mortgage anymore.

PictureFrameWindow · 19/09/2023 11:24

There's some extraordinary victim blaming here. High house prices hurt all of us, and they were certainly not caused by workers like the OP.

It's crazy that we can't look back to higher standards of living in the noughties without immediately getting told not to rise above our station. Divide and rule from the tories seems to be working pretty well.

bryceQ · 19/09/2023 11:25

I don't understand the saying its where you live answer... How would the country cope if no one under £60k lived in the south east? We rely on min wage and above workers to keep the country running. It's ridiculous they can't afford to live when they are so vital

Fieldofbrokenpromises · 19/09/2023 11:26

But how can this be?
13 years of Tory rule.
Perhaps eventually people will realise that the Tories always shit on ordinary workers whilst stuffing their pockets with our cash.

actualpuffins · 19/09/2023 11:26

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 19/09/2023 11:24

You know average just means "all of them added up, divided by how many there are" right?

So the mansions and what not are totally skewing the stats there. The majority of bog standard homes will be under 3kpcm, probably even under 2kpcm, but the vast costs of renting the mansions drags the average up.

Show quote history

Sure, but there are an awful lot of regular sized ordinary flats in London too.

IMustDoMoreExercise · 19/09/2023 11:26

The reason you are struggling is that it is very difficult to run a house on a single income.

I am very sorry that your husband has died.

I think it is important for everyone to have life insurance as soon as they start a family as if something happens the remaining spouse will find it very difficult.

Noa23 · 19/09/2023 11:26

What’s wrong with people?!

The south is going to have a lot of people unable to access basic health care very shortly, it’ll have none at all if people actually think the answer is for the OP or others in a similar situation (nurses, physios, SALT, radiographers etc) is to downsize/ live in a cupboard or move up north.

I have lived and worked in London and the south and have moved back up north (where I’m from), it improved my situation and then the shit show of the last few years happened. God knows how shit my life would be and how much debt I’d be in if I still lived in London!

DisquietintheRanks · 19/09/2023 11:27

fortheloveofjamdoughnuts · 19/09/2023 10:00

Yeah exactly. And London doesn't need teachers or nurses, only the North East of England

Show quote history

If London needs workers on low wages then I guess it needs to house them. It doesn't have the right to expect the public purse to double their wages just so the average London house can retain its stupidly high price.

SueVineer · 19/09/2023 11:27

actualpuffins · 19/09/2023 11:22

I was shocked to read average rent in London is now £3000 a month. Average. That's three times our mortgage payment - in the SE also. Rent controls are long overdue.

Rent controls will just lead to a worse shortage of rental properties. As they have in Scotland