A new report reveals that more than a quarter of recent graduates are living with their parents, unable to afford rent or a deposit in a market where average monthly rents exceed £1,200. The cost of living crisis and stagnant wages are leaving a generation trapped in a childhood bedroom, with no realistic path to independence. Analysis shows that typical graduate salaries have risen by just 5% since 2019, while rents have surged 18% in the same period.
In cities like Manchester and Bristol, the situation is acute: a one-bed flat now costs 60% of a starting teacher’s salary. Tenants’ unions are calling for rent controls and investment in social housing, warning that young people are being priced out of their own futures. Without urgent action, the dream of a home of one’s own is becoming a fantasy for all but the richest.
