Essential workers are being priced out of London and would need to work the equivalent of almost two full-time jobs to make average rent “affordable”, according to new research.
Analysis by flat-share website SpareRoom found that a Londoner earning the National Living Wage of £12.21 an hour would need to work 63 hours a week to keep rent within 30% of their gross income, which is the commonly-used threshold for what is deemed affordable.
Even if the government raises the National Living Wage to £12.70 in the upcoming Budget, as reported, a renter would still need to work 60 hours a week to make their housing costs affordable.
Those earning the voluntary London Living Wage of £14.80 an hour would also struggle, needing to work 52 hours a week to afford an average room in the capital.
SpareRoom says that a gross annual salary of £39,804 is required to rent an average room costing £995 a month, which is well beyond the earnings of many frontline and essential workers.
A nursery assistant on an average salary of £24,420, for example, now spends 49% of their income on rent.
Average London room rents have risen 37% over the past five years, reaching £995 in Q3 2025.
After peaking at £1,015 in late 2023, rents remain close to the £1,000 mark amid sustained post-pandemic demand.
SpareRoom director Matt Hutchinson says: “While the Renters’ Rights Act brings much-needed protections for tenants, it does nothing to tackle the problem of already unaffordable rents.
“Either the government has to do more to help people meet the high cost of living, or it must look at creative ways to reduce rents quickly.
“Renters don’t have time to wait for housebuilding targets to be met.
He adds: “London can’t function without its essential workers; they’re the lifeblood of the city but, increasingly, they’re being priced out.
“Renter demand continues to build in suburban and commuter towns like Esher, Twickenham and Aldershot, as people head further afield in search of cheaper rents.
“But long, expensive commutes are not the answer to the capital’s housing problems, and especially not for lower-paid shift workers who may be working long or antisocial hours.
“This isn’t just a London problem, it’s happening in other urban areas too. Cities rely on essential workers, as does the economy. This isn’t just an issue for a handful of people, it’s becoming a national epidemic.”
