Just over half of flatsharers (51%) are relying on some form of loan, credit, advance or a second income stream to help them pay their rent, Spareroom research shows.
In an August 2025 survey of 3,775 flatsharers, 19% had used their overdrafts, 18% had needed a loan, 14% had taken on a second job and 13% had used credit cards to pay their rent in the past 12 months.
Under 30s were more likely to have taken on second jobs to help pay their rent (17%), and more likely to be using their overdrafts to pay their rent (22%).
Matt Hutchinson, director of flatshare site SpareRoom, said: “Rents have been stabilising over the past year which is masking the huge problems people are facing around affordability. Flatsharers’ budgets simply aren’t meeting asking prices set by agents and landlords in many parts of the UK.
“That means people are having to lean on parents and relatives, take on second jobs and explore various ways of borrowing to be able to pay their rent each month.
“The fact that over a quarter of under 30s now flatsharing have relied on their parents to be able to start renting in the first place – i.e. with a deposit loan – shows just how hard it is to leave home at all.”
Londonderry, Edinburgh and York that have the biggest gaps between average budgets and rents.
At £823 per month, Edinburgh is now the second most expensive city in which to rent, after London, but the average flatsharer only has £716 per month to spend.