It’s no secret that renters in the UK have been struggling – average rents rose by 8.7% in the 13 months to January 2025, only slightly down from the record 9.1% increase seen in 2024 .
But according to data from flatshare website Spareroom , women are more likely to be “rent burdened” (spending more than 30% of their income on rent) than men.
According to a 2025 survey conducted by a rental platform, 79% of women spend more than 30% of their rent payment on rent, compared to 69% of men.
And while 31% of women in this survey spend more than half of their net income, only 20% of men said the same.
Spareroom’s Ella Chisholm commented: “The gender pay gap puts women at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to spiralling living costs and their future plans.
“As a result, women are more prone to going deeper into debt, pushing homeownership even further out of reach.”
Why might women be more “rent-burdened” than men?
Speaking to Huffpost UK, Chilsholm explained that the pay gap likely has a lot to do with it (as you might expect).
“Men who rent usually outspend women who rent, so women have to spend a larger chunk of their income on living expenses,” she said.
But that’s just one theory.
Another, she added: “Is that women pay more in rent because they are more likely to prioritize their personal safety, choosing areas closer to stations and bus stops to avoid walking long distances alone at night or generally living in areas where they feel safer – even if it comes at a higher cost.”
The expert also thinks that “women are less inclined to choose larger houses, which are usually cheaper, and tend to choose to live in smaller apartments.”
Men are more likely to live with their parents in adulthood than women
Concerns about security and the gender pay gap could leave women more “rent-burdened” than men.
But these comparisons can only be made between people who both rent. And, as Chisholm pointed out, adult women and men don’t do it the same way.
“ The data found that a third of men aged 20 to 34 still live with their parents, compared to just 22% of women of the same age, so there are just more women in the rental industry,” she shared.
It’s no wonder that the “burden” is disproportionately placed on our shoulders.
