1 in 4 parents admit moving home distressed their children

25 per cent of parents in London claim moving due to increased rents took a toll on their children, as housing charities call for the next Mayor to address the situation

One in four London parents have admitted that their last move had a negative impact on their children.

New research from housing charity Shelter reported that parents found moving house had left their children feeling distressed and insecure. They also reported that their children’s performance at school had been adversely affected.

Rapidly rising rents and short-term contracts are forcing families to move in search of more affordable accommodation, uprooting their children from their schools and established friendship groups.

For many families, staying in one place is simply not an option. Due to the unstable nature of private renting in the capital, 37 per cent of Londoners have been forced to move at least three times in five years.

Campbell Robb, chief executive of Shelter, said the situation was “making renters’ lives a misery” and deemed the current private renting situation “not fit for purpose.”

The report also revealed that one in five Londoners felt being forced to move had impacted on their working life.

According to Foxtons estate agents, renting a three bedroom home in Camden now costs over £920 per week. A four bedroom property in Hampstead would set a family back by over £1,830 per week.

Buying a house in which to make a permanent home, however, is an increasingly unreachable goal for many families as London house prices reach record highs.

Mr Robb has called on London’s next mayor to rectify the situation.

“It’s about time the capital’s 2.7 million private renters were given a better deal,” he said. “The new Mayor can help to make unstable renting a thing of the past – so it’s up to every mayoral candidate to show they’re willing to fight for London’s renters.”

Read our guide to all the mayoral candidate’s pledges to London renters here.