As April marks Stress Awareness Month across the UK, it seems a good time to address one of the most significant sources of anxiety affecting young adults today, and something I have personal experience of: housing.
Living in good housing is important for everyone’s mental health yet finding comfortable and affordable accommodation close to where your family is, your workplace is located or the place you’re studying has become a lot more challenging.
As someone who writes for Heymind, I can relate to feeling anxious about finding the right rental I prefer before having to move all my stuff out which can also be stressful.
Paying for someone else’s mortgage
I understand how it feels to be unhappy about paying extortionate costs for a small room while, at the same time, trying to put aside some spare money. Known as the rental trap, where the fear is that if you’re renting, spending lots of wasted money each month in a property that is not your own is another tricky situation to be in and one that myself and friends feel as if we share.
Like a lot of my friends, I would love to save enough for a deposit to put towards my first home but don’t think this is achievable unless I move in with my boyfriend. I don’t especially want to put that pressure on my relationship either as it feels too early to move in together just for the sake of buying somewhere. I’m currently spending about £1,000 a month on a flat that has damp issues that my landlord won’t address without a bit of a push.
Similarly, I have spoken to enough people to know that “dead money” and this sentiment about renting is something that weighs heavily on people’s minds. My colleague James told me that he hates paying his landlord money as soon as he gets paid knowing that it’s cash he’ll never see again. He feels equally hurt that the owner isn’t listening to any complaints, especially as he feels as if he is essentially paying off the mortgage for him.
In general, it’s tough for people my age as I’d rather be taking the advice my parents have given me to invest wisely and save up properly for a home deposit. Instead, there’s that sinking feeling that you’re paying for a landlord who might own loads of houses and it’ll take years and years before I can reach the amount I need unless I literally stop going out, doing anything healthy that costs money or planning a holiday even if it’s on a budget. As a freelancer, I appreciate the value of having a healthy work/life balance so the thought of not ever having a break is not good for my mental health.
Rising costs of living and increasing rents
In recent years, the reality of buying my own place has become almost impossible without having help from parents, family members, or an unlikely inheritance. Rents remain high and I think the financial challenges are particularly real for young and vulnerable people. I have heard about many places that have worryingly high rents. In fact, studies show that the UK’s average rents increased by 8.7% in the 12 months up to January 2025. This unaffordability of housing also seems to be getting worse especially for those under 30, as reports suggest, who spend as much as 30% of their income on rent.
In addition to rent, there is the mental stress of soaring energy bills and rising food prices. The psychological impact is compounded by the instability of rental arrangements and worrying about whether my landlord will want to sell up soon, meaning another stressful move in the future.
Living at home for longer
Today, a lot more young people live with their parents or extended family for longer than they perhaps used to or should be doing. I’ve heard the phrase “boomerang kids” about my generation and there are lots of current reports about the rise of 25- to 34-year-olds living with their parents, hoping to save up for a deposit.
According to research, this has been the case even more so where I live in Sussex as well as in other parts of the South West. This is mainly due to massive house price rises across so many decades. I’ve read news reports of more and more people in their 20s living with their parents. Of course, this is only possible if you have a mum, dad or family with enough room of their own to offer up as an option. I know some friends who are unable to live with family, which is tough on their mental health.
Meanwhile, I have spoken to others who are staying at home to use their extra money to invest in their career before they can even contemplate being a first-time buyer. One such friend is a photographer and he worries that he might never have enough money to move out of the family home.
Having said that, some colleagues and people in my circle of friends prefer living at home because it’s easy for them, they don’t have to cook or wash, they are close to their siblings and parents or near work too and can borrow their parent’s car. For them, they might be more worried about the challenges of living on their own and of not being as comfortable when they do eventually move out.
Paying for housing fees
If you’re fortunate enough to make that first and giant step onto the housing ladder, you’ll then have the added worry of paying for the extras which can be hard even for those who manage to accumulate a deposit. You’ll have to factor in the additional costs as a first-time buyer, such as stamp duty, legal fees, surveys, and moving expenses all of which create further financial hurdles.
I do think the Government’s help for first time buyers with stamp duty relief are welcome. A lot of the support that you might get is cancelled out by the cost of living crisis which seems to have driven up mortgage rates, meaning monthly repayments have become less affordable even as property prices continue to climb. Many of my friends have been more interested in what Labour has been proposing and sharing articles about interest rates and local housing policies, trying to anticipate how these factors might impact them which can also be stressful.
Dealing with anxiety
Housing pressures can take their toll and have done for me and many of my friends. This is also quite normal and studies consistently show that housing insecurity correlates with increased rates of anxiety, depression, and stress-related physical problems so it’s important to not feel like you’re alone.
For Stress Awareness Month this April, it’s important to recognise that worrying about your accommodation is a legitimate mental health concern affecting loads of young adults and people across the UK. While change is needed to address the UK’s housing shortage, it’s also important to ask for help if you’re worried and talk to your friends, colleagues and family who are probably in similar situations or have been in the past.
