'With four jobs in London I couldn't afford rent so I'm going to Manchester'

'With four jobs in London I couldn't afford rent so I'm going to Manchester'Just nowShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMeghan OwenLondon work and money correspondentBBCLauren Elcock is leaving London because her rent is too expensive"I'm a born-and-bred Londoner but I'm leaving because I can't afford it. I'm being driven out of my own home."Lauren Elcock, 31, who is struggling to pay £850 a month for her room in a shared rental in north-east London, is leaving the capital for a new job some 200 miles away."It's at the cheaper end of London and even that is kind of ridiculous for a room," she says. In the past five years, she says her rent has increased by £250 a month. In May 2025 she was made redundant, and since then she has juggled four jobs including dog walking and working in the local gym, just "making ends meet".Viewing this situation as no longer feasible, she's set her sights on Manchester, where she's secured a flat for £500 a month.Hundreds of people attended a demonstration through central London on SaturdayLauren isn't the only one struggling to pay rent. On Saturday, a national housing demonstration, which brought together tenant groups, housing campaigners and trade unions, demanded more measures to make rent affordable. They argue the Renters' Rights Act, which comes into effect on 1 May, doesn't go far enough, and are calling for the government to introduce further measures to make rent more affordable. The new legislation means landlords will need to give two months' notice to raise the rent, and can only increase the rent once a year to "the market rate". Tenants who believe the figure is excessive can challenge the landlord at a first-tier tribunal, a type of civil court.The Renters' Rights Act will also end the practice of "bidding wars", so new tenants cannot be asked to pay more than the advertised price.Joe Beswick...