As property prices rise, more people are opting to live on boats, putting pressure on the capital’s waterways and nearby communities

The growth in the number of people living on canals is putting pressure on London’s waterways, as more people choose to buy or rent boats in response to rising property prices.

In hotspots such as Hackney in east London boat numbers have risen by 85% in the past year alone. Overall in London there has been a 36% rise in the past five years. There were 2,175 boats in 2007 and it was less common for owners to live on them all year. There are now more than 3,000 and interest is increasing, with one popular Facebook group, London Boaters, receiving almost daily requests for information from people curious about buying or renting boats.

But London’s waterways are struggling to cope, according to the Canal and River Trust, which looks after more than 100 waterways across greater London including the Grand Union canal and Regent’s canal.

Joe Coggins, a spokesman for the trust, said: “The waterways weren’t built to have boats back to back all the way along. The increasing number is a cause for concern as there is growing pressure on the system.”

I can see why older boaters get annoyed. They used to be able to move quite freely and now they have to fight for a spot

The trust, which has taken on additional staff and volunteers to cope with the rise in people living on waterways, also manages the movements of the boats. Most boat owners in London have continuous cruising licences, which means boats cannot stay in the same place for more than two weeks. New regulations mean boats need to travel a minimum of 20 miles a year to ensure they don’t stay in the same popular areas. Some of the newer members of the boating community don’t always follow the rules, Coggins said. An enforcement team is employed to keep track of movement on the canals. Double mooring, where a boat is forced to moor to another boat, has also become more common in central London as boat owners struggle to find free spots.

Despite being cheaper than buying a house, there are many hidden costs to living on a boat. A secondhand one-bed narrowboat costs about £15,000 to £30,000, although they can go for much more, depending on the model and size. A new boat is about £1,000 a foot. Added to that is the cost of the licence, which ranges from £510 to £1,100 a year, depending on the boat’s length. Owners need to allow for insurance, gas, batteries, wood or coal, and maintenance. Water tanks have to be refilled and toilets have to be emptied.

Last year, the Guardian reported that the growing numbers of Londoners choosing to live on canal boats was creating “fleet versus street” tension with residents who border towpaths.

For many new boaters, the lifestyle has been a steep learning curve. Dave and Sanna Jonsson Buttery bought their boat 18 months ago after becoming frustrated with living in rental properties and realising they would never be able to afford to buy a house. Sanna, a landscape architect, and Dave, a nursery teacher, could afford to live only in a shared flat after they got married.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Dave and Sanna Jonsson Buttery. Photograph: Nicola Slawson/The Guardian

Dave said: “It’s ridiculous that two professionals – and we’re not on benefits and we don’t even have low-paid jobs – had to live in a shared house despite being married. It was shocking.

“Saving up for a deposit when you’re paying £1,000 a month in rent is impossible even for two professionals.”

Inspired by Dave’s father, who lives on a canal in Sheffield, buying a boat seemed like the only solution to their problem. Despite the advice and guidance Dave’s dad has been able to give them, they’ve still had a lot to learn.

Sanna said: “When we bought [the boat] it was October, so just at the beginning of winter. There was quite a lot to get used to and learn, like how to get the stove going overnight and how to change the batteries.”

Their worst experience so far was when the engine broke and they were stuck in Hemel Hempstead with no electricity or showers for three weeks. “It was like camping but it was winter,” Dave said.

So far they’ve avoided the increasing tension between new boaters and those who have been boating for years. Dave said: “I can see why the older boaters get annoyed. They used to be able to move quite freely and now they have to fight for a spot.”

For 75-year-old Keith Duffy, one of the most irritating things about the influx is that many of them do not realise how much work owning a boat requires. Duffy, who lived on boats for 18 years, runs two-day courses for boaters with River Canal Rescue, a kind of AA for the canals.

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He said: “Many of them are living on boats because they can’t afford to live anywhere else and they aren’t always interested in learning about them. I’m on something of a crusade to get people to learn about their boats.

“I feel really strongly about this. Those canals were built by a lot of hard-working people and people died building them. They were built for boats to move on, not for people to doss on or look for somewhere cheap to live.

Most of those who can’t afford to rent or buy houses in the city, “need not even be in London,” he added.

He advises anyone thinking about buying a boat to hire one first. “You’ll be taught how to steer it, how to check the engine every day and you’ll find out if you actually like living on a boat.”