London houseboat community priced out by mooring fee rises

Contrary to their low-cost, bohemian image, houseboats can cost a pretty penny and often rival the price of a property on land.

- Sammy Gecsoyler

Now, those living on London's rivers and canals in London fear they will be priced out of the water for good as soaring mooring fees threaten their way of life.

The Canal & River Trust (CRT) has raised mooring fees at some sites it owns by 10% for two years in a row. A£300m cut in government funding to the trust, due from 2027, was previously announced by Sunak's government. As a result, fees have risen for those living on rivers and canals in England and Wales.

For many of those permanently moored in a marina, their fees have shot up by thousands. In Ice Wharf marina, situated along Regent's Canal in London, annual mooring fees have soared in the past nine years. In 2015, residents could expect to pay about £8,850 for the year with a 10% early payment discount. Now the discount has been cut to 2% and residents face an annual bill of about £15,000.

Alexandra Lyons, a university researcher, lives on a houseboat in the marina with her 15-year-old daughter. She bought her boat for £180,000 but says that because of the rising mooring rates she would be lucky to get £100,000 for it now.