Survey: over half of parents charging adult children rent save it for a deposit
A survey of 2,000 parents who charge adult children rent found 54% save some or all of it towards a house deposit, as high housing costs keep more young adults at home.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
A survey of 2,000 adults who let their children move back home has found that most parents who charge rent are using at least some of it to help their child buy a home.
The research found that in 54% of households where parents charge rent, some or all of the money is put aside for the child's future house deposit. About a third of adult children said they were saving specifically for a deposit. Two thirds of adults eventually own their own home, at an average age of 34.
The average rent charged by parents across the country is £303. In London it is around £400, while in Yorkshire and Humber it is less than half that. The figures were compared with shared housing costs, where a room in London can cost nearly £1,000 a month on average, compared with about £500 in Humber. That gap shows the real savings available to adults who move back into the family home.
The survey also suggested that parents expect the arrangement to last. About 80% said rising household and living costs would keep home ownership out of reach for their children and mean they would stay at home for a long time. Half of the parents said they let their children off at least twice a year, according to the report.
The report highlighted the tensions that can arise when adult children return home. It advised families to be clear about what the rent covers, including bills, and what responsibilities the adult child has. But it also noted that many young people do not have family support at all, and that help with a deposit is not an option for them.
The findings come amid a long-term fall in home ownership among young adults. The share of 25-year-olds who own their own home fell from 43% in the mid-1980s to just 15% today. The survey points to the financial pressures on younger people and the role parents can play, where they are able, in helping them save for a deposit.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| Home ownership among 25-year-olds fell from 43% in the mid-1980s to 15% today. | |
| In 54% of surveyed households that charge rent, some or all of the rent money is saved towards a house deposit. | |
| Parents charging rent charge an average of £303 nationally, about £400 in London, and less than half that in Yorkshire and Humber. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
Sky News treated the survey as a hook for a morning studio discussion about financial pressure on young adults. Its correspondent set out the headline numbers, then compared parental rent with shared housing costs in London and Humber to show how much adults can save by moving home. The segment also stressed that many young people have no family support, so the option is not available to everyone.
- “more than half of parents who charge their adult children Rent are putting some or all of the money towards helping their child save to buy their own home”
- “in 54 percent of households that money Some or all of it is squirrels away”
- “So this is a purely Hypothetical chat for them”
Broadcast Timeline
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