Tenants skip holidays because of high rent

The boss of a rental flatshare agency claims tenants are sacrificing summer holidays because of high rents.

Matt Hutchinson, director of the SpareRoom online flatshare platform, claims data from a survey conducted by his firm shows that 75% of tenants say rising rents have impacted their ability to plan for a summer break this year.

Some 72% of those surveyed say they’d be taking fewer holidays this year due to a lack of funds, and 43% may not go on holiday at all.

SpareRoom has not given any details of the size of the survey.

It adds that 94% of renters claim they were financially affected by increased rental costs, and Hutchinson says with the average UK room rent at £740 (£983 in London), it’s unsurprising that Britons have less disposable income to spend on holidays this year.

Hutchinson comments: “It’s been a tough time for renters over the last couple of years, as rental costs have continued to climb. The prospect of a summer holiday has probably never been more appealing, especially with the wet ‘summer’ weather we’re having, but for many renters, that’s far from a given.

“Ironically, one of the key factors contributing to rising rents is the fact that landlords are leaving the residential market, while the number of holiday lets in the UK has skyrocketed. With a new government taking over, it’s about time the current housing crisis was addressed, or renters will be looking to move to other countries for cheaper rents, not holidays.”

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