'I can't afford to move out of my family home because of Cardiff's rental crisis'

Renting increases have made it extremely difficult to move out

Growing up I always thought I would follow in my parents footsteps and move out by the time I turned 18, but now as my 24th birthday approaches I am still living at my family home. Currently living at home with my mum, sister and our two dogs, I have been mentally ready to move out for a long time but being financially ready seems to get harder each year.

It is no secret that Cardiff has become an expensive place to rent, which may be expected as the capital city, but over the past nine years the cost of renting in the city has almost doubled. Data from the Office for National Statistics reveals that Cardiff has had the highest increase in Wales, with rental prices increasing by 50.72% since 2015.

In August 2015 the average monthly rent cost £692 whereas this August the average soared to £1,043. As someone in full-time employment, this is still unaffordable and would be impossible to maintain if I was to live on my own.

This is a struggle across the city, with Cardiff having a larger increase than the British average of 37.10%. And while I have considered looking outside of Cardiff for places to live, other variables have to be considered as I work in Cardiff. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here

READ MORE: Cardiff shop and café has window kicked in and cash and stock stolen

READ MORE: Cardiff permit parking could be overhauled as plans for new zones announced

Many of my friends moved out of their family homes when they went to university as most left their home towns to study, whereas I never did. Horror stories of house shares have put me off living with strangers and even as a less expensive option, it is not something I would feel comfortable doing now as an adult.

Renting a property has been described to me as "empty spending", putting money into something without a return. I began saving to buy my own house but quickly realised that without a partner, that would leave me living at home for far longer.

As someone who is highly independent, living at home can be a struggle but it also has many benefits too. Whilst I still pay my share in housekeeping, it is nowhere near as much as I would if I were to move out.

In an ideal world I would want to move out of my family home and into a place alone but that seems near impossible. I don't know anybody in their 20s that doesn't either live with a friend, partner, their family or in a house share.

The rent increase over the past nine years is not the only financial strain that has left me living at home. As many of us are well aware the rising cost of living has made most things more expensive, which means that rent on top of other monthly bills would leave me with no disposable income, if any at all.

Join the WalesOnline WhatsApp community

WalesOnline has launched a new breaking news and top stories WhatsApp community. From the biggest court stories to the latest traffic updates, weather warnings and breaking news, it's a simple way to stay up to date with what's happening in Wales.

Want to join? All you have to do is click on this link, select 'Join Community' and you're in. We will not spam your feed with constant messages, but you will receive updates from us daily.

If for some reason you decide you no longer want to be in our community, you can leave by clicking on the name at the top of your screen and clicking 'Exit Group'. We occasionally treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can read our Privacy Notice here.

Join our WhatsApp community here.