As rent prices in London soar to record highs, questions are being raised over whether a new law designed to protect tenants will be enough to help those struggling with costs.
The Renters’ Rights Act was meant to rebalance power between tenants and landlords but for London’s young renters, rising prices remain the main obstacle.
‘I am paying £1,245 a month for a tiny one-bed’
Pascoe, who rents a one-bed flat in Tottenham, says rent hikes have left him living month to month with little left over for savings.
Pascoe has been renting in Tottenham for the past two and a half years and finds managing rent and expenses in London has become increasingly difficult.
He told City News: “I started off renting a room in a four-bed in Mile End for about £100 a week.
“Now I am paying £1,245 a month for a tiny one-bed that is just about big enough for me.”
Even after cutting back on spending, Pascoe says there is little left over once rent is paid: “I am living month to month. There is nothing going into savings or pensions. Once my overdraft runs out, I must sacrifice things like dinners out.”
He said the new law: “Until rent prices are brought down, it is not really addressing the problem. It is just not affordable.”
He describes the capital’s rental market as having “skyrocketed” and says many of his friends have already left.
“Everyone I know who moved to Tottenham did it because they could not afford anywhere else, but even here it’s not cheap”, he said.
Ministers say law ‘transforms private renting for tenants’
On 27th October, the Renters’ Rights Act received royal assent, marking a landmark moment for tenants across England. The Act abolishes Section 21 ‘no-fault evictions’ and restricts landlords to raising rent only once a year to market rate.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “The Act will level the playing field between landlord and tenant and transform the experience of private renting.”
While the legislation strengthens tenants’ security, it does little to tackle the soaring cost of living in the capital.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average monthly rent in London has climbed to £2,253 – which is £869 higher than the next most expensive region in England.
A 2024 London Assembly Housing Committee report found that low-income Londoners aged 25 to 29 are spending 77% of their wages on housing. This is more than double the affordability benchmark used by housing bodies, including the ONS, which suggests rent should take up no more than 30% of income.
Private rent in England has surpassed the affordability threshold, with Londoners hit the hardest. (Source: Office for National Statistics, 2024)
Even those with higher paid jobs are feeling the financial pressures. ONS data from 2024 shows private rental affordability in London is 41.6%, which is far above the national average.
Campaigners feel ‘very little will change’ for renters
While Pascoe welcomes the end of Section 21 no-fault evictions under the new Renters’ Rights Act, he says the reforms do not go far enough.
Despite the financial strain, he stays optimistic: “I am happy and I make it work. But there is no denying renting in London feels unsustainable. Buying would be cheaper.”
Pascoe’s experience is far from unique. Across the capital, campaigners say spiralling rent prices are leaving many in a similar position.
Pascoe, who rents a one-bed flat in Tottenham, says rent hikes have left him living month to month with little left over for savings.
Jae Vail, spokesperson for London Renters’ Union, said “the government is calling this a new era of fairness, but for renters facing another unaffordable rent increase, very little will change.”
Vail’s concerns are reflected in the forecasts for the coming years with experts projecting rental price growth of around 3.5% in 2026 and total increases of up to 17.6% by 2029, highlighting the ongoing pressures on renters.
The Greater London Authority’s Rent Commission described the private rental sector as “brutal, dangerous and sucking the life out of London.” Their report concluded that the Renters’ Rights Act “will do little to meaningfully improve affordability.”
While the Act aims to make renting more secure, renters like Pascoe feel it does little to make it more affordable.
Across the capital, young Londoners are finding themselves pushed out of homes, not through eviction notices but through rent hikes they simply cannot meet. For many, it is a new kind of ‘no-fault eviction’: being priced out of the city they work and live in.
The Renters’ Rights Act promises great security on paper, but it stops short of addressing what many London renters see as the biggest issue: the challenge of finding an affordable home.
Campaigners argue that without rent caps tenants will remain protected in theory but vulnerable in practice.
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HeadlineNew Renters’ Rights Act fails to solve London’s affordability crisis, say young renters
Short HeadlineLondon's renters still struggling despite new law
StandfirstThe legislation strengthens tenant protections, but soaring rents still leave young Londoners struggling to afford a home in the capital.
As rent prices in London soar to record highs, questions are being raised over whether a new law designed to protect tenants will be enough to help those struggling with costs.
The Renters’ Rights Act was meant to rebalance power between tenants and landlords but for London’s young renters, rising prices remain the main obstacle.
‘I am paying £1,245 a month for a tiny one-bed’
Pascoe, who rents a one-bed flat in Tottenham, says rent hikes have left him living month to month with little left over for savings.
Pascoe has been renting in Tottenham for the past two and a half years and finds managing rent and expenses in London has become increasingly difficult.
He told City News: “I started off renting a room in a four-bed in Mile End for about £100 a week.
“Now I am paying £1,245 a month for a tiny one-bed that is just about big enough for me.”
Even after cutting back on spending, Pascoe says there is little left over once rent is paid: “I am living month to month. There is nothing going into savings or pensions. Once my overdraft runs out, I must sacrifice things like dinners out.”
He said the new law: “Until rent prices are brought down, it is not really addressing the problem. It is just not affordable.”
He describes the capital’s rental market as having “skyrocketed” and says many of his friends have already left.
“Everyone I know who moved to Tottenham did it because they could not afford anywhere else, but even here it’s not cheap”, he said.
Ministers say law ‘transforms private renting for tenants’
On 27th October, the Renters’ Rights Act received royal assent, marking a landmark moment for tenants across England. The Act abolishes Section 21 ‘no-fault evictions’ and restricts landlords to raising rent only once a year to market rate.
Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook said: “The Act will level the playing field between landlord and tenant and transform the experience of private renting.”
While the legislation strengthens tenants’ security, it does little to tackle the soaring cost of living in the capital.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average monthly rent in London has climbed to £2,253 – which is £869 higher than the next most expensive region in England.
A 2024 London Assembly Housing Committee report found that low-income Londoners aged 25 to 29 are spending 77% of their wages on housing. This is more than double the affordability benchmark used by housing bodies, including the ONS, which suggests rent should take up no more than 30% of income.
Private rent in England has surpassed the affordability threshold, with Londoners hit the hardest. (Source: Office for National Statistics, 2024)
Even those with higher paid jobs are feeling the financial pressures. ONS data from 2024 shows private rental affordability in London is 41.6%, which is far above the national average.
Campaigners feel ‘very little will change’ for renters
While Pascoe welcomes the end of Section 21 no-fault evictions under the new Renters’ Rights Act, he says the reforms do not go far enough.
Despite the financial strain, he stays optimistic: “I am happy and I make it work. But there is no denying renting in London feels unsustainable. Buying would be cheaper.”
Pascoe’s experience is far from unique. Across the capital, campaigners say spiralling rent prices are leaving many in a similar position.
Pascoe, who rents a one-bed flat in Tottenham, says rent hikes have left him living month to month with little left over for savings.
Jae Vail, spokesperson for London Renters’ Union, said “the government is calling this a new era of fairness, but for renters facing another unaffordable rent increase, very little will change.”
Vail’s concerns are reflected in the forecasts for the coming years with experts projecting rental price growth of around 3.5% in 2026 and total increases of up to 17.6% by 2029, highlighting the ongoing pressures on renters.
The Greater London Authority’s Rent Commission described the private rental sector as “brutal, dangerous and sucking the life out of London.” Their report concluded that the Renters’ Rights Act “will do little to meaningfully improve affordability.”
While the Act aims to make renting more secure, renters like Pascoe feel it does little to make it more affordable.
Across the capital, young Londoners are finding themselves pushed out of homes, not through eviction notices but through rent hikes they simply cannot meet. For many, it is a new kind of ‘no-fault eviction’: being priced out of the city they work and live in.
The Renters’ Rights Act promises great security on paper, but it stops short of addressing what many London renters see as the biggest issue: the challenge of finding an affordable home.
Campaigners argue that without rent caps tenants will remain protected in theory but vulnerable in practice.
